News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – Researchers who combed through scores of serologic studies estimate that the global cumulative incidence of pandemic H1N1 influenza infection before vaccines became available was probably below 20%, far lower than the 50% that pandemic planners had envisioned as a possible worst case.

(CIDRAP News) – India and New Zealand are still the world's hot spots for pandemic H1N1 flu activity, with flu and other respiratory illness activity low in most of the Southern Hemisphere, which is nearing the end of its winter flu season, the World Health Organization (WHO)said today.

(CIDRAP News) – Pandemic H1N1 flu activity is intense in parts of India and New Zealand and is circulating at low-to-moderate levels in a few other parts of the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today.

Earlier this week the WHO declared that the H1N1 influenza pandemic was over and changed the pandemic alert phase to the post-pandemic period, but it warned that the virus was still circulating and warranted continued surveillance.

Note: Substantial material was added to this article at 6:15 p.m. US Central Time on the WHO's pandemic response and the role of public health going forward.

(CIDRAP News) – The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) today declared the H1N1 influenza pandemic over, saying worldwide flu activity has returned to typical seasonal patterns and many people have immunity to the virus.

(CIDRAP News) – Amid media reports that the World Health Organization (WHO) might be on the verge of setting a date to discuss a step-down in the pandemic alert level, the agency said today that it's too early to determine if tropical and Southern Hemisphere countries have transitioned to normal seasonal flu patterns.

(CIDRAP News) – So far Southern Hemisphere countries have seen low levels of flulike illnesses during their flu season, with the pandemic H1N1 virus predominant in Chile, Australia, and New Zealand; in addition, a few other places in the world, such as India, Malaysia, and Singapore, are reporting active transmission of the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today.