WHO holds swine flu crisis talks (BBC)

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UN holds swine flu crisis talks

UN health officials are holding emergency talks on swine flu, amid speculation

that the first global flu pandemic in 40 years will be declared.

The World Health Organization called the meeting after a steep rise in the

number of cases in Australia.

Hong Kong on Thursday announced it was closing all its nurseries and primary

schools for two weeks after 12 students tested positive for the virus.

The last global flu pandemic came in 1968 over the Hong Kong flu.

That pandemic killed about one million people.

A disease is classed as a pandemic when transmission between humans becomes

widespread in two regions of the world.

Evolving situation

The latest virus emerged in Mexico in April and since then thousands of cases

have been confirmed throughout North and South America.

The H1N1 strain has spread to 74 countries but the WHO has resisted labelling

the outbreak a full-blown pandemic.

What comes next in flu fight

WHO chief Margaret Chan talked to officials from eight countries with large flu

outbreaks on Wednesday in an attempt to confirm the spread of the disease.

She has said she believes the situation can be regarded as a pandemic but says

she wants clear evidence before making an announcement.

The WHO's move follows Australia's confirmation of more than 1,200 cases - a

four-fold increase in a week.

All primary schools and nurseries in Hong Kong are to shut for 14 days from

Friday in a bid to contain the virus, the territory's chief executive

Tsang said.

It follows confirmation that 12 secondary school pupils have contracted the

illness. Secondary schools are not yet being ordered to close.

At least 50 people are now confirmed to have the virus in the territory.

The head of the WHO's global influenza programme, Keiji Fukuda, said the

situation had " evolved a lot " in recent days.

" We are getting close to knowing that we are in a pandemic situation, " he said.

Although most sufferers experience regular flu symptoms and make a full

recovery, the WHO has confirmed 141 deaths from 27,737 cases.

The BBC's health correspondent, Jane Dreaper, says classifying the virus as a

pandemic does not mean that the virus has suddenly become more deadly.

But it does send a clear signal to health officials and businesses to continue

planning for the possibility of large numbers of people catching the virus, she

says.

The move may speed up the production of vaccines and prompt national governments

to impose measures such as travel bans.

The WHO's emergency committee in Geneva began at 1000 GMT.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8094353.stm