A woman stares out of a bus heading toward the National institute of Respiratory Diseases in Mexico City, April 29, 2009.
WHO raises global alert for swine flu outbreak
April 30, 2009
The World Health Organization has raised its global alert level for swine flu to its second-highest phase, saying it believes a pandemic is imminent.
"It really is all of humanity that is under threat during a pandemic," Dr. Margaret Chan, the WHO's director-general, told a news conference in Geneva. "All countries should immediately activate their pandemic preparedness plan."
Countries should remain on "high alert" for signs of the influenza and world leaders, drug companies, businesses and governments must all work together to combat what the future may hold, Chan said.
Asked for advice for ordinary citizens, Chan said: "Continue with your business but try to pay special attention to personal hygiene.''
Swine flu is suspected of killing 160 people in Mexico and making about 2,500 ill there. The United States reported the first swine flu death outside of Mexico, a Mexican toddler who had travelled with his family to Texas.
Total American cases surged to nearly 100, spreading to 11 states.
Six more cases were confirmed in Canada yesterday – three in British Columbia and three women in Greater Toronto – bringing the total in the country to 19.
There are seven cases in Ontario, six in B.C., four in Nova Scotia and two in Alberta.
All illnesses in Canada have so far been mild.
The WHO has confirmed cases of swine flu in Britain, Israel, New Zealand and Spain. Germany, Austria and Peru became the latest countries to report infections. Germany reported four cases yesterday, Austria and Peru one each.
"Containment is no longer a feasible option," Dr. Keiji Fukuda, assistant director at the WHO, said after a meeting of the agency's emergency committee in Geneva.
"The world should focus on mitigation. We recommend not closing borders or restricting travel."
While most other countries have not yet seen the swine flu during Phase 5, an alert level this high is a strong signal the pandemic is imminent and that it is time to quickly complete organizational plans on how to handle an outbreak.
Phase 6, the highest phase, indicates a global pandemic is underway and that there are community level outbreaks in one other country in a different world region.
Investigators continue to see an illness that is generally consistent with seasonal influenza, said Fukuda, adding there is "some suggestion perhaps some cases are getting diarrhea more often than normal."
Health officials remain puzzled as to why so many have died in Mexico while the disease has been mild in other parts of North America.
At this point, the epidemic could "suddenly stop for unknown reasons" but that is probably unlikely, Fukuda said.
The raised pandemic alert level does not alter Canadian plans, said Dr. David Butler-Jones, the country's chief public health officer.
"We have a Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan, we've been following it, and we will continue to adapt our surveillance, our infection prevention measures and communicating as our own situation dictates," he said.
Butler-Jones said more cases will emerge as officials ramp up surveillance efforts. "As for any form of influenza, some will be more severe and unfortunately we may see some deaths as well," he said.
As fear and uncertainty about the flu ricocheted around the globe, nations took all sorts of precautions, some more useful than others.
Britain closed a school after a 12-year-old girl was found to have the disease. Egypt slaughtered all its pigs and the central African nation of Gabon became the latest to ban pork imports, despite assurances that swine flu was not related to eating pork.
With files from Star wire services
For complete coverage of the outbreak, visit the Swine flu page.