Swine Flu Pandemic, Swine Flu Vaccine, Swine Flu Symptoms

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Thursday the highest level of alert for swine influenza A (H1N1), making it the first global pandemic of the 21st century, informed the director of the institution, Margaret Chan.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Thursday the highest level of alert for swine influenza A (H1N1), making it the first global pandemic of the 21st century, informed the director of the institution, Margaret Chan, the Member States .
The manager "confirmed that the alert is raised to Phase 6," said one diplomat in Geneva, by revealing that Chan had informed the WHO that had risen to its highest level of alert by the swine flu, after Meeting with the ambassadors to the WHO in Geneva.
Meanwhile, the Swedish Minister of Health, Maria Larsson, said in press conference that "the WHO raised its alert level to phase six."
Influenza A (H1N1) continues to spread, "said Larsson. However, the six-level "does not mean that the disease has changed. Those affected generally have mild symptoms," he said.
The decision announced de facto the first influenza pandemic of the twenty-first century.
WHO had convened a committee of urgency for early afternoon to assess the possibility of decreeing a state of maximum alert.
This was followed by another meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions to inform them of the situation.
While doubts about its intentions, the director of the UN agency based in Geneva, Margaret Chan, who rarely speaks in front of journalists, called a press conference at 16.00 GMT as it did on other occasions where was changed to alert phase.
The virus of swine origin, avian and human affects 27,737 people in 74 countries. And 141 were killed by the disease. Apparently the situation in Australia was that motivated the decision.
Scottish Health Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, had indicated in Edinburgh that it was likely an announcement during the day "taking into account local transmissions found in Australia.
The number two of the WHO, Keiji Fukuda on Tuesday acknowledged "a local transmission" in the State of Victoria.
Australia is the fifth most affected country in the world infected with 1263 cases. The authorities indicated Thursday that four people infected were admitted into intensive care.
However, Australia is not alone. In Chile, the number of infections has tripled in two days, and reaching to 1694 people.
In Hong Kong ordered the closure of primary schools and kindergartens after twelve students contamination by the virus. In Germany, where 78 new cases reported on Wednesday. 27 students in a Japanese school in Dusseldorf (West) contracted the disease.
For ten days the WHO announcement paves the way for the pandemic. On Tuesday, the number two of the organization acknowledged that "we are very, very close" to the pandemic.
Fukuda explained that the organization hoped to do so is evidence that the virus, which appeared in Mexico and then in United States, has spread locally outside the North American region.
On Wednesday, WHO called on health ministers of the eight most affected countries in a teleconference to "see if there is indisputable evidence of local transmission."
For experts, these tests have been around for a while, but WHO decided, under pressure from its members, be given time to prepare in the best way to avoid its 193 members and a movement of panic that would, in her view, unjustified.
"Go to stage six means that the spread (of itself) is continuing ... but does not mean that disease severity increased," Fukuda stressed.
In fact, the mortality of the virus was now equivalent to that of seasonal influenza (0.1%), leaving aside the case of Mexico (0.4%), while the avian flu is 60%.
But should the virus could mutate and combine with a more virulent strain, opening the way to more pessimistic scenarios, WHO fears.
Nevertheless, the organization is reassuring that the world repeats itself and never been so well prepared for pandemic flu.