WHO raises swine flu pandemic phase 5 alert

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WHO notches up swine flu pandemic alert

Global outbreak considered imminent; vaccine efforts will be ramped up

msnbc.com staff and news service reports

updated 5:29 p.m. ET, Wed., April 29, 2009

The World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert for swine flu to the

second highest level Wednesday, meaning that it believes a global outbreak of

the disease is imminent.

WHO Director General Margaret Chan declared the phase 5 alert after consulting

with flu experts from around the world. The decision could lead the global body

to recommend additional measures to combat the outbreak, including for vaccine

manufacturers to switch production from seasonal flu vaccines to a pandemic

vaccine.

" All countries should immediately now activate their pandemic preparedness

plans, " Chan told reporters in Geneva. " It really is all of humanity that is

under threat in a pandemic. "

A phase 5 alert means there is sustained transmission among people in at least

two countries. Once the virus shows effective transmission in two different

regions of the world, a full pandemic outbreak — level 6 — would be declared,

meaning a global epidemic of a new and deadly disease.

" It is important to take this very seriously, " Chan told a news conference

watched around the globe on Wednesday. But for the average person, the term

" pandemic " doesn't mean they're suddenly at greater risk.

Nearly a week after the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, was first identified in

California and Texas, about 100 cases have now been confirmed in the U.S. across

11 states, and health officials reported Wednesday that a 23-month-old Mexican

boy had died in Texas.

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But in Mexico, where up to 159 people have died from the virus and around 1,300

more are being tested for infection, people struggled with an emergency that has

brought normal life virtually to a standstill over the past week.

Almost all cases outside of Mexico have had only light symptoms, and only a

handful of cases have needed hospitalization.

Officials warned more deaths could be expected as surveillance of the illness

increases.

Spain has reported the first case in Europe of swine flu in a person who had not

been to Mexico, illustrating the danger of person-to-person transmission.

Pharmaceutical companies should ramp up manufacturing, she said. Two antiviral

drugs — Relenza, made by GlaxoKline and Tamiflu, made by Roche AG — have

been shown to work against the H1N1 swine flu strain.

Flu viruses are notorious for rapid mutation and unpredictable behavior, Chan

warned. But she also offered words of reassurance.

" The world is better prepared for an influenza pandemic than at any time in

history, " Chan said. " For the first time in history we can track the pandemic in

real time. "

As fear and uncertainty about the disease ricocheted around the globe, Chan

added that WHO did not recommend closing borders or forgoing pork.

No signs of slowing

Germany and Austria reported cases of the illness, bringing the number of

affected countries to 9.

Nations are taking all sorts of precautions, some more useful than others.

Britain closed a school after a 12-year-old girl was found to have the disease.

Egypt slaughtered all its pigs and the central African nation of Gabon became

the latest nation to ban pork imports, despite assurances that swine flu was not

related to eating pork.

Cuba eased its flight ban, deciding just to block flights coming in from Mexico.

And Asian nations greeted returning airport travelers with teams of medical

workers and carts of disinfectants, eager to keep swine flu from infecting their

continent.

In Mexico City, the epicenter of the epidemic, the mayor said Wednesday the

outbreak seemed to be stabilizing and he was considering easing the citywide

shutdown that closed schools, restaurants, concert halls and sports arenas.

Across Europe, Germany confirmed three swine flu cases and Austria one, while

the number of confirmed cases rose to five in Britain and ten in Spain.

WHO conducted a scientific review Wednesday to determine exactly what is known

about how the disease spreads, how it affects human health and how it can be

treated.

The U.S., the European Union and other countries have discouraged nonessential

travel to Mexico. Cuba suspended all regular and charter flights from Mexico to

the island but was still allowing airlines to return travelers to Mexico.

In Australia, officials were testing more than 100 people with flu symptoms for

the virus and the government gave health authorities wide powers to contain

contagious diseases.

" (We can make) sure that people are isolated and perhaps detained if they don't

cooperate and are showing symptoms, " said Health Minister Nicola Roxon.

H1N1 swine flu is seen as the biggest risk since H5N1 avian flu re-emerged in

2003, killing 257 people of 421 infected in 15 countries. In 1968 a " Hong Kong "

flu pandemic killed about 1 million people globally, and a 1957 pandemic killed

about 2 million.

Seasonal flu kills 250,000 to 500,000 people in a normal year, including healthy

children in rich countries.

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