WHO declares swine flu a public health emergency

[Guest guest]

WHO declares swine flu crisis a health emergency

Saturday, April 25, 2009. … 1 hr 4 mins ago

GENEVA – The World Health Organization has declared the swine flu outbreak in

North America a " public health emergency of international concern. "

The decision means countries around the world will be asked to step up reporting

and surveillance of the disease implicated in dozens of human deaths in Mexico

and at least eight nonfatal cases in the U.S.

WHO fears the outbreak could spread to other countries and is calling for a

coordinated response to contain it.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan made the decision late Saturday after

consulting influenza experts during an emergency meeting.

She earlier told reporters the outbreak had " pandemic potential. "

But her agency held off raising its pandemic alert level, citing the need for

more information.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's

earlier story is below.

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization warned countries around the world on

Saturday to be on alert for any unusual flu outbreaks after a unique new swine

flu virus implicated in possibly dozens of human deaths in North America.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said the outbreak in Mexico and the United

States was evolving quickly and was a very serious situation. She said it had

" pandemic potential " because it is an animal virus strain infecting people, but

the agency cannot say " whether or not it will indeed cause a pandemic. "

" It would be prudent for health officials within countries to be alert to

outbreaks of influenza-like illness or pneumonia, especially if these occur in

months outside the usual peak influenza season, " Chan told reporters by

telephone from Geneva, where she convened an emergency meeting of influenza

experts.

" Another important signal is excess cases of severe or fatal flu-like illness in

groups other than young children and the elderly, who are usually at highest

risk during normal seasonal flu, " she said.

Several Latin American and Asian countries have already started surveillance or

screening at airports and other points of entry.

At least 62 people have died from severe pneumonia caused by a flu-like illness

in Mexico, WHO says. Some of those who died are confirmed to have a unique flu

type that is a combination of bird, pig and human viruses. The virus is

genetically identical to one found in California.

U.S. authorities said eight people were infected with swine flu in California

and Texas, and all recovered.

So far, no other countries have reported suspicious cases, according to WHO.

But the French government said suspected cases are likely to occur in the coming

days because of global air travel. A French government crisis group began

operating Saturday. The government has already closed the French school in

Mexico City and provided French citizens there with detailed instructions on

precautions.

Chilean authorities ordered a sanitary alert that included airport screening of

passengers arriving from Mexico. No cases of the disease have been reported so

far in the country, Deputy Health Minister Jeanette Vega said, but those showing

symptoms will be sent to a hospital for tests.

In Peru, authorities will monitor travelers arriving from Mexico and the U.S.

and people with flu-like symptoms will be evaluated by health teams, Peru's

Health Ministry said.

Brazil will " intensify its health surveillance in all points of entry into the

country, " the Health Ministry's National Health Surveillance Agency said in a

statement. Measures will also be put in place to inspect cargo and luggage, and

to clean and disinfect aircraft and ships at ports of entry.

Some Asian nations enforced checks Saturday on passengers from Mexico.

Japan's biggest international airport stepped up health surveillance, while the

Philippines said it may quarantine passengers with fevers who have been to

Mexico. Health authorities in Thailand and Hong Kong said they were closely

monitoring the situation.

Asia has fresh memories of an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or

SARS, which hit countries across the region and severely crippled global air

travel.

Indonesia, China, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries have also seen a number

of human deaths from H5N1 bird flu, the virus that researchers have until now

fingered as the most likely cause of a future pandemic.

The Dutch government's Institute for Public Health and Environment has advised

any traveler who returned from Mexico since April 17 and develops a fever over

101.3 degrees Fahrenheit (38.5 Celsius) within four days of arriving in the

Netherlands to stay at home.

The Polish Foreign Ministry has issued a statement that recommends that Poles

postpone any travel plans to regions where the outbreak has occurred until it is

totally contained.

The Stockholm-based European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said

earlier Saturday it shared the concerns about the swine flu cases and stood

ready to lend support in any way possible.

WHO's emergency committee, called together Saturday for the first time since it

was created in 2007, draws on experts from around the world. They may decide

that the outbreak constitutes an international public health emergency. If so,

they will consider whether WHO should recommend travel advisories, trade

restrictions or border closures and raise its pandemic alert level.

http://news./s/ap/20090425/ap_on_re_eu/un_un_mexico_swine_flu_18

http://news./s/ap/20090425/ap_on_re_eu/un_un_mexico_swine_flu_19

[Guest guest]

They should go ahead and raise the level to get peoples' attention so that they

can get the information more quickly. Bush had no trouble raising his terror

alert levels to get attention.

Incidentally, has anyone heard whether Homeland Security is trying to stake out

a role in this?

> But her agency held off raising its pandemic alert level, citing the need for

more information.

[Guest guest]

Experts to advise WHO on pandemic alert phase

Sun Apr 26, 2009 8:24am EDT

GENEVA, April 26 (Reuters) - International experts will convene on Tuesday to

advise the World Health Organisation (WHO) whether to raise the current pandemic

alert level due to the new flu virus in Mexico and the United States, a WHO

spokesman said.

" We need more epidemiological evidence from Mexico before the experts would be

in a position to advise on a pandemic change, " WHO spokesman Hartl told

Reuters on Sunday.

" An advisory body will recommend whether or not the director-general should up

(raise) the phase. They are meeting again on Tuesday, " he said.

A new type of swine flu has killed up to 81 people in Mexico and infected around

a dozen in the United States. The current pandemic alert level is 3 on a scale

of 1 (low risk of human cases) to 6 (efficient, sustained transmission between

humans).

http://www.reuters.com/article/usDollarRpt/idUSLQ52912820090426