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WHO Declares Swine Flu Level 6, H1N1 Pandemic: First in 41 Years
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by Rob Walker | June 11, 2009 at 05:09 am
1237 views | 17 Recommendations | 2 comments
The World Health Organisation's director-general Dr. Margaret Chan has officially declared the first flu panemic of the 21st century. She called for an emergency conference call in Geneva to discuss the spread of swine flu, or H1N1 virus.
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Dr. Chan said:
'The scientific criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met,' Chan said, adding 'I have decided, therefore, to raise the influenza pandemic alert form phase 5 to phase 6.
Read the Full Text of the WHO's Declaration of H1N1 Pandemic: Swine Flu Virus
So far the flu has spread to 74 countries and infected 27,737 people, causing 141 deaths. The pandemic flu alert had been raised to its highest level, the first time this has happened since 1968.
Dr. Chan stated that:
'further spread is considered inevitable.'
But she said there should be 'no restrictions on travel and no border closures.' Chan also said governments should not impose trade bans.
The call for a conference with leading flu experts came a day after reports that the flu is spreading quickly past North America and Europe and is now hitting Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines.
This declaration just means that the flu has spread around the world, and is no indication of its danger to the world's populace: indeed, H1N1 has killed relatively few people, considering how widely it has spread: far more die from more conventional flu strains.
WHO director general Margaret Chan called the emergency conference call with leading flu experts to discuss the outbreak of the virus, which has spread to 74 countries.Health officials from Scotland, Indonesia and Thailand said the United Nations health agency would raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 — the highest level — after the teleconference concluded on Thursday. Officials with the UN have also said they expect the declaration of the global pandemic is imminent.
A sharp increase in people infected with swine flu in Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines could tip the H1N1 virus into epidemic status, said the World Health Organisation on Wednesday.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (2)
at 07:18 on June 11th, 2009
I read an article about a week ago that the WHO intend to review its alert system since Japan did not think it was warranted to raise the alert since no one in Japan had died of the H1N1 Flue.
at 12:38 on June 11th, 2009
With a level six pandemic there will be travel restrictions coming soon. Maybe more.
Quote from WHO global influenza preparedness plan PHASE 6 Affected countries 1. Implement all relevant elements of national pandemic plan, including coordination of response and implementation of specific interventions. 2. Assess and publicize the current and cumulative national impact. 3. Consider applying emergency powers.