News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) –Pandemic activity is showing early signs of peaking in some parts of North America, but is on the rise in several European countries as well as those in Central and Eastern Asia, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today.

(CIDRAP News) – After delaying action for weeks as the novel H1N1 influenza virus took hold in far-flung parts of the globe, the World Health Organization (WHO) today declared a full-fledged pandemic, formally recognizing that the virus is becoming a global contagion.

(CIDRAP News) – The global novel H1N1 influenza situation is drawing closer to the status of a true pandemic but is not there yet, the World Health Organization's (WHO's) lead spokesman on the issue said today.

"Globally we believe we're in phase 5 but are getting closer to phase 6," said Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the WHO assistant director-general for health security and the environment, referring to the WHO's pandemic alert phases.

The World Health Organization (WHO) listed a global total of 2,500 confirmed cases of swine influenza H1N1 in 25 countries today. That total included 1,204 cases in Mexico, 896 cases in the United States (yesterday's number), 214 in Canada, 88 in Spain, and 34 in the United Kingdom. The death toll remains at 44, including 42 in Mexico and 2 in the United States. [WHO update 22]

The global illness count for the novel H1N1 swine influenza climbed to 2,099 confirmed cases with 44 deaths in 23 countries early today, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported. That included 1,112 cases and 42 deaths in Mexico and yesterday's US count of 642 cases and 2 deaths. Spain reported 73 cases and the United Kingdom 28. [WHO update 19]

Twenty countries were reporting a total of 985 confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 (swine flu) as of early today, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported. Mexico has reported 590 cases with 25 deaths. The WHO total includes yesterday's US report of 226 cases in 30 states, with one death. Other countries with more than 10 cases were Canada, 85; Spain, 40; and the United Kingdom, 15. [WHO statement]