Too early to gauge effect, experts say

Fears that a swine flu outbreak could turn into a global pandemic dampened China's market sentiment, yet economists said it was still early to tell how much it was going to affect the country's real economy.

The spread of swine flu roiled the Chinese markets from stocks to commodities, as traders worried that consumers would cut down on travel and food perceived to be less safe, because of the outbreak.

Though the country has reported no confirmed cases of swine flu so far, Chinese stocks dropped for a second day with investors fretting about the potential economic fallout if the virus outbreak becomes a full-fledged pandemic.