Special Report:  World Tackles Swine Flu 　

    BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization Wednesday warned of a swine flu pandemic and raised the alert level from 4 to 5, as the world's countries continued efforts to curb the deadly virus.

    A 23-month-old Mexican boy visiting Texas has died of the H1N1 flu strain in the first confirmed swine flu death outside Mexico. Meanwhile, Germany and Austria announced their first confirmed cases, taking to nine the number of countries known to be affected.

Graphics shows the World Health Organization (WHO) raised its pandemic alert level from Phase 4 to Phase 5 on April 29, 2009, as the swine flu situation continues to get worse. It indicates that a full pandemic is imminent. (Xinhua/Meng Lijing) Photo Gallery>>>

    As the swine flu situation is continuing to worsen, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday raised the pandemic alert level to Phase 5, indicating that a pandemic is imminent.

    "Influenza pandemics must be dealt with seriously and precisely because of their capacity to spread rapidly to every country in the world," said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan at a teleconference for the media.

    This has been the second raise of the WHO's pandemic alert system in three days, indicating the quick worsening of the global swine flu situation.

    Mexico, which has registered 99 confirmed swine flu cases and eight confirmed deaths due to the virus, Wednesday revved up efforts to fight the pandemic by suspending nonessential services at government offices and private businesses between May 1-5.

    Finance Minister Agustin Carstens said the outbreak of the new, deadly swine flu could cut up to 0.5 percent from the country's gross domestic product.

    In an unprecedented move across the world, the Egyptian government decided on Wednesday to slaughter all pigs in the country immediately in an attempt to avert an outbreak.

    "It has been decided to slaughter all pigs in the country immediately," local Nile TV quoted Health Minister Hatem al-Gabalias saying after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

    British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Wednesday that the country's health authorities are doing everything in their power to minimize the impact of swine flu.

    He said leaflets containing advice about the basic steps to avoid infection would be sent to every household in the country over the next few days.

    A total of five swine flu cases have been confirmed in Britain so far. All cases being investigated concerned people who have traveled from Mexico. The government is advising people not to travel to and from Mexico unless on urgent business.

    U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday pledged that his administration will take "the utmost precautions and preparations" in response to the H1N1 flu.

    "We are continuing to closely monitor the emerging cases of theH1N1 flu virus throughout the United States," he said at the opening of a prime-time press conference to mark his 100th day in office.

    The president said that he is requesting immediate 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in emergency funding from Congress to support efforts to monitor and track the emerging swine flu.

    In Japan, Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe said Thursday that the country will set up fever clinics at hospitals nationwide to exclusively treat people suspected of being infected with the swine flue.

    Urging the public to remain calm, Masuzoe said that the government will strive to unfailingly protect the lives and health of the people by means of taking any necessary measures.

    Japan will, among others, produce a vaccine for the disease and establish a structure to keep track of antiviral drugs in stock, he said.

    China, which has had painful experience dealing with the SARS outbreak in 2003, is the first country in the world to provide Mexico with body temperature scanners, and it has also provided emergency humanitarian assistance worth 5 million U.S. dollars to the Mexican government.

    China has also shared with Mexico its experience in curbing the SARS outbreak, which is vital for Mexico to prevent and conquer the deadly swine flu, said Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa.

    A hotline has been set up in China's Hong Kong to handle inquiries from people who developed flu-like symptoms after traveling to human swine-flu affected areas.

    The hotline will start round-the-clock operation on Thursday, said the center, which is a unit of the Health Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government.