May 4, 2009
H1N1 flu outbreak
H1N1 will reach pandemic
Dr Margaret Chan (left) warned against over-confidence following a stabilisation in the number of new cases of H1N1 because the southern hemisphere was about to enter winter when flu cases naturally spike. --PHOTO: AP
MADRID- THE World Health Organization is likely to raise its alert for the new influenza strain to the highest level and declare a pandemic, its head indicated in an interview published on Monday.
'Level six does not mean, in any way, that we are facing the end of the world. It is important to make this clear because (otherwise) when we announce level six it will cause an unnecessary panic,' Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General told Spanish newspaper El Pais.
985 cases of swine flu confirmed
GENEVA - THE World Health Organization has raised its tally of confirmed human cases of swine flu to 985 from 787.
There have been 26 confirmed deaths.
... more
'Flu viruses are very unpredictable, very deceptive...We should not be overconfident. One must not give H1N1 the opportunity to mix with other viruses. That is why we are on alert,' she told the newspaper.
Dr Chan warned against over-confidence following a stabilisation in the number of new cases of H1N1 because the southern hemisphere was about to enter winter when flu cases naturally spike.
'We have to be very careful. No one can predict what is going to happen when countries in the south have flu peaks and this new one arrives - which it is going to do, without a doubt.'
'It is true that the number (of cases in people who have not been to Mexico) is small but because of that I would say that we have not seen the full situation or the whole picture of what is happening. The situation is evolving and the virus is changing.'
She said it was too early to predict what proportion of the population would catch the new influenza strain after the European Union predicted 40 per cent of the population would become infected.
The WHO impending move comes as offices and businesses stayed closed in Mexico on Monday to try to prevent the spread of a deadly new strain of flu, and authorities said the battle was being won with a sharp drop in new cases.
Outside Mexico, however, the number of confirmed cases continues to rise, and officials say it will take time to confirm just how contagious and dangerous the virus is.
Mexico's health ministry announced on Sunday the flu epidemic had passed the worst and experts said the virus might be no more severe than normal flu, although it could still have an impact on world health and was expected to spread to more countries. -- REUTERS
