April 30 (Bloomberg) -- An employee at the World Bank, the Washington-based lender that helps nations reduce poverty, has been preliminarily diagnosed with swine flu after traveling to Mexico for his job.

The case is one of at least two tied to workers in the U.S. capital. A member of a security team who took part in President Barack Obama’s trip to Mexico became ill with flu-like symptoms, and members of his family contracted “probable” swine flu, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said today.

Colleagues who had been in contact with the World Bank employee were allowed to return to work after a finding that “there is no longer any risk of contagion,” according to a statement late today from the institution. “None of his co- workers or immediate family has shown symptoms” of the virus, “and the infectious period has now passed,” the bank said.

The staff member was in Mexico from April 14 to April 18, before the outbreak was reported by world health officials, according to an e-mail to World Bank employees today from Bernard Demure, director of the bank’s health services department. The employee is a resident of Maryland and works in the bank’s Latin America and Caribbean division.

Fully Recovered

The World Health Organization, a United Nations agency in Geneva, has confirmed 257 cases in 11 countries, and hundreds of people are being tested for the virus in New York. A patient in Spain hadn’t traveled to Mexico and may signal the disease is being transmitted outside North America, officials said.

“If identified early, the swine flu is a very treatable virus and responds well to medication,” Demure said in the e- mail. About 80 colleagues who were in contact with the man had been asked to work from home while the bank awaited advice from local health authorities.

The employee sought treatment upon his return from Mexico and has fully recovered, according to the morning e-mail. He received a preliminary diagnosis last night, and a second test is under way by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the bank said.

The swine flu won’t be a major issue for the world economy, although it may harm tourism in some countries, according to the chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, a companion international lending agency across the street from the World Bank.

“It may have an effect on the volume of tourism,” said Olivier Blanchard, speaking at an event in Washington. “This is not going to be a major issue in economic terms,” particularly when compared with the global financial crisis.

To contact the reporters on this story: Tom Randall in New York at trandall6@bloomberg.net; Timothy R. Homan in Washington at thoman1@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: April 30, 2009 18:46 EDT