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WHO fears pandemic is 'imminent' WHO fears pandemic is 'imminent'
(about 2 hours later)
The UN's World Health Organization has raised the alert over swine flu to level five - indicating human-to-human transmission in at least two countries.The UN's World Health Organization has raised the alert over swine flu to level five - indicating human-to-human transmission in at least two countries.
It is a "strong signal that a pandemic is imminent", the WHO says.It is a "strong signal that a pandemic is imminent", the WHO says.
After Mexico, the US has recorded the next highest number of confirmed cases, with 91. In Mexico, at the epicentre of the outbreak, people have been urged to stay at home over the next five days.
A senior health official in Europe says it is not a question of whether people in Europe will die, but how many - perhaps hundreds or thousands. There are numerous cases elsewhere - the highest number outside Mexico in the US - and Europeans have been told it is certain there will be deaths.
Meanwhile in Mexico, President Felipe Calderon has announced the partial suspension of non-essential work and services from 1 to 5 May. href="/nol/shared/spl/hi/dhtml_slides/css/v2/styles.css?2" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

class="dslideshow-header">WHO PANDEMIC ALERT PHASES

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Phase 1: No infections in humans are being caused by viruses circulating in animals.
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Phase 2: Animal flu virus causes infection in humans, and is a potentialpandemic threat.
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Phase 3: Flu causes sporadic cases in people, but no significanthuman-to-human transmission.
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Phase 4: Human-to-human transmission and community-level outbreaks.
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Phase 5: Human-to-human transmission in at least two countries. Strongsignal pandemic imminent.
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Phase 6: Virus spreads to another country in a different region. Globalpandemic under way.
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Post-peak: Pandemic activity appears to be decreasing though second wavepossible.Post-pandemic: activity returns to normal, seasonal flulevels.
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The efforts of the government were concentrated on containing the virus, Mr Calderon said, urging people to stay at home with their families during the shutdown. Several countries have restricted travel to Mexico and many tour operators have cancelled holidays.
CONFIRMED CASES Mexico: 168 suspected deaths - eight confirmedUS: one death, at least 91 confirmed casesNew Zealand: 13 confirmed casesCanada: 19 confirmed casesUK: 5 confirmed casesSpain: 10 confirmed casesGermany: 3 confirmed cases Israel, Costa Rica: 2 confirmed cases eachSwitzerland, Austria, Peru: 1 confirmed case each class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/8021547.stm">Mapping the outbreak class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/8026113.stm">Economy squeezed by swine flu class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/8024394.stm">Mexico: First swine flu cases Other countries are resisting calls to implement travel bans or close borders, on the grounds - backed by the WHO - that there is little evidence of their efficacy.
He said he was "proud" of the response of Mexicans to the crisis, and assured people Mexico was well-stocked with anti-viral medicines. In the latest developments:
  • New cases were confirmed in Switzerland, Costa Rica and Peru
  • European health ministers were set to meet for emergency talks to co-ordinate national efforts to contain the spread of the virus
  • Ghana has become the latest country to ban pork imports as a precaution against swine flu, though no cases have been found in the West African country.
'Urgent action'
Announcing the latest alert level after an emergency WHO meeting in Geneva, Director General Margaret Chan urged all countries to activate their pandemic plans, including heightened surveillance and infection-control measures.Announcing the latest alert level after an emergency WHO meeting in Geneva, Director General Margaret Chan urged all countries to activate their pandemic plans, including heightened surveillance and infection-control measures.
CONFIRMED CASES Mexico: 168 suspected deaths - eight confirmedUS: one death, at least 91 confirmed casesNew Zealand: 13 confirmed casesCanada: 19 confirmed casesUK: 5 confirmed casesSpain: 10 confirmed casesGermany: 3 confirmed cases Israel, Costa Rica: 2 confirmed cases eachSwitzerland, Austria, Peru: 1 confirmed case each Mapping the outbreak Economy squeezed by swine flu Mexico: First swine flu cases Africa awaits two swine flu tests
She said action should be undertaken with "increased urgency".She said action should be undertaken with "increased urgency".
She added: "It really is the whole of humanity that is under threat in a pandemic."She added: "It really is the whole of humanity that is under threat in a pandemic."
But she also said the world was "better prepared for an influenza pandemic than at any time in history".But she also said the world was "better prepared for an influenza pandemic than at any time in history".
In Europe, the director-general of health and consumer protection, Robert Madelin, said the continent was well prepared but nonetheless deaths from the disease were expected. Ms Chan stressed on Wednesday that there was no danger from eating properly cooked pork.
"It is not a question of whether people will die, but more a question of how many. Will it be hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands?", he said, speaking to Reuters news agency. She advised hygiene measures such as hand-washing to prevent infection and said it was important "to maintain a level of calm".
Border controls? Meanwhile in Mexico, President Felipe Calderon has announced the partial suspension of non-essential work and services from 1 to 5 May - a holiday period there.
The raising of the alert comes after a 23-month-old Mexican child died while on a visit in Texas - the first death from swine flu outside Mexico, where the outbreak originated. In a TV address, he urged people to stay in with their families - saying there was "no place as safe as your own home".
He said he was "proud" of the response of Mexicans to the crisis, and assured people Mexico was well-stocked with anti-viral medicines.
Already, schools across Mexico have closed, public gatherings are restricted and archaeological sites have been placed off-limits.
From Stephen Gibbs in Mexico City, MexicoFrom Stephen Gibbs in Mexico City, Mexico
Since the swine flu outbreak began here, the government has faced the dilemma of wanting to prevent people spreading the disease - without paralysing the economy.Since the swine flu outbreak began here, the government has faced the dilemma of wanting to prevent people spreading the disease - without paralysing the economy.
With this latest directive it appears to have struck a compromise.With this latest directive it appears to have struck a compromise.
All "non-essential" areas of the economy are to be shut down, for five days from 1 to 5 May.All "non-essential" areas of the economy are to be shut down, for five days from 1 to 5 May.
The government has not been specific about what it means by non essential - but it does say medical, food, transportation and financial sectors will function as normal. href="/1/hi/world/americas/8026113.stm">Mexico economy squeezed by flu The government has not been specific about what it means by non essential - but it does say medical, food, transportation and financial sectors will function as normal. href="/1/hi/world/americas/8026113.stm">Mexican economy squeezed
He was transferred to a hospital in Houston, where he died on Monday night. Mexico is already being hit hard by the global economic slowdown, and the country's finance minister says swine flu could cut a further half-percent of GDP.
Speaking in Washington, President Barack Obama offered his condolences and said the federal government was doing the utmost to contain the virus. The search for the source of the outbreak continues, with the focus on the vicinity of a pig farm in the eastern part of the country.
He also urged local public-health bodies to be vigilant and said schools with confirmed cases "should consider closing". About 100 have so far done so.
Officials put the number of suspected deaths from swine flu in Mexico at 159, although just eight deaths have been confirmed, with 26 infections positively tested.
Texas Governor Rick Perry said closing the US border with Mexico was an option, but added that taking that step now would be "a little premature".
Giving a televised news conference on Wednesday evening, US President Barack Obama said health officials were not recommending closing the border.
"The key now is to just make sure we are maintaining great vigilance, that everybody responds appropriately when cases do come up," Mr Obama said.

WHO PANDEMIC ALERT PHASES

Phase 1: No infections in humans are being caused by viruses circulating in animals.
Phase 2: Animal flu virus causes infection in humans, and is a potentialpandemic threat.
Phase 3: Flu causes sporadic cases in people, but no significanthuman-to-human transmission.
Phase 4: Human-to-human transmission and community-level outbreaks.
Phase 5: Human-to-human transmission in at least two countries. Strongsignal pandemic imminent.
Phase 6: Virus spreads to another country in a different region. Globalpandemic under way.
Post-peak: Pandemic activity appears to be decreasing though second wavepossible.Post-pandemic: activity returns to normal, seasonal flulevels.
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Since the virus emerged last week, it has also spread to Canada, Europe, Israel, and New Zealand, where the number of confirmed cases has jumped to 13.
Peru became the latest country to confirm it was treating a patient suffering from swine flu. An Argentine woman who had recently travelled to Mexico was Peru's first case of the virus, the country's health minister said late on Wednesday.
Several countries have restricted travel to Mexico and many tour operators have cancelled holidays.
France will ask the European Union on Thursday to suspend all flights going to Mexico because of the flu outbreak, Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot said.
The WHO, however, says measures like travel bans are unlikely to prove effective.
'Social distancing'
In Spain, the government said the first person to contract swine flu without having travelled to Mexico was the boyfriend of a young woman who had recently returned from there.
Spanish Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez said such cases were to be expected.
In total, the number of confirmed cases in Spain rose from two to 10 on Wednesday. None of the patients is seriously ill.
SYMPTOMS - WHAT TO DO Swine flu symptoms are similar to those produced by ordinary seasonal flu - fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigueIf you have flu symptoms and recently visited affected areas of Mexico, you should seek medical adviceIf you suspect you are infected, you should stay at home and take advice by telephone initially, in order to minimise the risk of infection Q&A: What is swine flu? Swine flu: How serious a threat? Can masks help spread? The quest for a swine flu vaccine
In Mexico, the search for the source of the outbreak continues, with the focus on the vicinity of a pig farm in the eastern part of the country.
The Mexican government is urging against jumping to conclusions and is suggesting the possibility remains that the virus originated outside the country.The Mexican government is urging against jumping to conclusions and is suggesting the possibility remains that the virus originated outside the country.
Schools across Mexico have closed, public gatherings are restricted and archaeological sites have been placed off-limits. Officials have put the number of suspected deaths from swine flu in Mexico at 168, although just eight deaths have been confirmed, with 26 infections positively tested.
Mexico City's chamber of commerce estimated restrictions in the city were costing businesses there at least 777 million pesos ($57m, £39m) per day. In Europe, the director-general of health and consumer protection, Robert Madelin, said the continent was well prepared but nonetheless deaths from the disease were expected.
WHO official Keiji Fukuda said other countries also needed to consider "social distancing" measures such as closing schools and delaying public meetings. "It is not a question of whether people will die, but more a question of how many. Will it be hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands?", he said, speaking to Reuters news agency.
Meanwhile, Ghana has become the latest country to ban pork imports as a precaution against swine flu, though no cases have been found in the West African country. Movement bans?
Ms Chan, the WHO director, stressed on Wednesday that there was no danger from eating properly cooked pork. At the meeting of health ministers on Thursday, the possibility of issuing a continent-wide travel advisory for Mexico will be discussed - though a French proposal to suspend flights has not received wide support.
She advised hygiene measures such as hand-washing to prevent infection and said it was important "to maintain a level of calm". SYMPTOMS - WHAT TO DO Swine flu symptoms are similar to those produced by ordinary seasonal flu - fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigueIf you have flu symptoms and recently visited affected areas of Mexico, you should seek medical adviceIf you suspect you are infected, you should stay at home and take advice by telephone initially, in order to minimise the risk of infection class="" href="/1/hi/health/8021958.stm">Q&A: What is swine flu? class="" href="/1/hi/health/8022102.stm">Swine flu: How serious a threat? class="" href="/1/hi/health/8024605.stm">Can masks help spread? class="" href="/1/hi/health/8024240.stm">The quest for a swine flu vaccine
Spain has seen the first case of a person contracting swine flu without having travelled there.
After Mexico, the US has recorded the next highest number of confirmed cases, with 91 - and the first death of swine flu outside Mexico, after a visiting Mexican child died in Texas.
President Barack Obama has urged local public-health bodies to be vigilant and said schools with confirmed cases "should consider closing". About 100 have so far done so.
There are no current plans to close the border with Mexico, Mr Obama said on Wednesday evening.
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