GENEVA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The World Health
Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that the risk of a pandemic caused by the
A/H1N1 virus is still very high and there is still the possibility to raise the
alert level to Phase 6 from the current Phase 5.
"At the present time, I would still propose that a
pandemic is imminent because we are seeing the disease spread," Michael Ryan,
the agency's director for global alert and response, told a news briefing in
Geneva.
People wear surgical masks as they walk
inside a subway station in Mexico City May 2, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
"This is the time for us to prepare, and be ready,"
he said.
The WHO's current pandemic alert level remains at
Phase 5, which is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus in two or
more countries in only one WHO region.
Currently the sustained spread of the virus is still
confined to the region of North America, notably Mexico and the United States.
Passengers coming from Mexico wait to
take their baggages at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France, May
2, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
Although human cases have also been confirmed in
Europe and Asia, there is still no evidence suggesting that sustained community
outbreaks have occurred in the two regions, according to the WHO official.
But Ryan warned that the possibility to raise to
pandemic alert Phase 6, which means sustained community outbreaks out of North
America, cannot be ruled out.
"At this point, we have to expect that Phase 6 will
be reached, and we have to hope that it is not reached," he said.
According to a latest WHO update, the world's total
number of lab confirmed A/H1N1 infections has increased to 658, with 16
countries being affected.
Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak, has officially
reported 397 confirmed human cases of infection, including 16 deaths. The U.S.
government has reported 160 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one
death.
Governments that reported laboratory confirmed cases
with no deaths include Austria (1), Canada (51), Hong Kong, China (1), Costa
Rica (1), Denmark (1), France (2), Germany (6), Israel (3), Netherlands (1), New
Zealand (4), Republic of Korea (1), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and Britain
(15).
MEXICO CITY, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's confirmed flu death toll has risen to 19 on Saturday and another 454 people confirmed infected, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said.
The minister urged citizens to remain vigilant and not to let their guard down against the virus. Full story
OTTAWA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Some pigs in Canada have been found to be infected with the A/H1N1 flu, Canadian media reported Saturday citing government sources.
This has been the first time that the H1N1 flu virus has
been found in pigs, the Canadian Press said, adding federal health officials
will announce the news later Saturday. Full story
GENEVA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The
total number of laboratory confirmed A/H1N1 flu infections worldwide has risen
to 615 with 17 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a latest
update on Saturday.
A total of 15 countries and regions have officially
reported laboratory confirmed cases to the UN agency, including Mexico, whose
confirmed number of human cases has increased to 397, including 16 deaths.
Full story
GENEVA, May
2 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that it was
sending more than 2 million treatment courses of antiviral drugs to 72
developing countries to help them prepare for a possible pandemic caused by the
spreading A/H1N1 virus.
"We've begun to dispatch 2.4 million treatment courses of
antivirals to 72 countries including Mexico," said Michael Ryan, WHO's director
for global alert and response. Full story
