WHO Raises Flu Alert Level To Phase 4

MEXICO CITY — Mexico says the World Health Organization has raised its pandemic alert for swine flu by one level, two steps short of declaring a full-blown pandemic

Mexico health department spokesman Carlos Olmos confirms the move.

WHO says the phase 4 alert means sustained human to human transmission causing outbreaks in at least one country. It signals a significant increase in the risk of a global epidemic, but doesn't mean a pandemic is inevitable.

Many experts think it may be impossible to contain a flu virus already spreading in several countries.

WHO has confirmed human cases of swine flu in Mexico, the United States, Canada and Spain. Only Mexico has reported deaths from the new strain.

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

GENEVA (AP) _ The World Health Organization says there are now 40 confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States and that it "very concerned" about the disease's spread.

WHO says none of the cases in the U.S. have been fatal.

But the U.N. agency says it could decide in a matter of hours whether to raise its pandemic alert level as a result of the increasing number of confirmed swine flu cases in Mexico and elsewhere.

Spain confirmed the first swine flu case outside North America on Monday.

WHO spokesman Paul Garwood said an emergency meeting is being led Monday by the agency's chief Dr. Margaret Chan.

He said in the Spanish case the disease was transmitted in Mexico and not passed among people in Spain.

Comments

[dwright]

Everyone needs to watch the movie "V for Vendetta", at the heart of the movie is the fact that the gov. planted a plague in society so that they could look like saviors and make people fear everything and everyone - it is very easy to control people that are afraid, sick and economically challenged. so, I truly think that it is not too far a stretch to believe that the right wing nuts may have released this flu so that they could do some propaganda against Obama and his progressive agenda. I am not a conspiracy nut, but the longer that I live the less I respect anyone on the right and truly believe they will stoop to anything for power.

[vinny]

the problem to watch out for are cases in other developing world nations... that don't have the resources to identify, isolate, and treat infected travelers.­..

this virus has legs, taking out whole mexican communities, and making it's way into the international transportation system...

[wolverine442]

I'd say level 4 is appropriate. They are following protocol. This is not a knee-jerk reaction. Science is based on checking and re-checking the data and reporting it. then making recommendations and a diagnosis. They are seeing the infection spread from human to human in a sustained manner and adjusted the level accordingly. Once that starts happening in different parts of the world, they will increase it again. It's all laid out on the WHO website. I'd be more concerned if they weren't following their own protocols because of political influence.

[nkhogan]

I agree. They are following protocol. It is reassuring to know that they're on the case. The advice they are giving is sound and people should follow it. There is no reason to panic, but there is reason for concern. It will be interesting to see how this develops over the next few days.

[loofa]

mad cow disease. avian flu. swine flu.
how many people have to die before we realize that factory farming is not only cruel in the extreme, not only an environmental disaster, not only a waste of resources, but also a health hazard to humans?

really - can we get the word out? tell the lawmakers it's time for a change
http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/swine_flu

[CJWebber]

40 cases out of hundreds of millions of people? And none of them fatal?

And we should be worried?

Man, oh, man.

[vinny]

i've been digging up eyewitness accounts of mexican citizens, and the situation there doesn't seem under control as of yet... the reported number of infected/fatalities also seems low...

[RoloTomassi]

Yes, you should be; there is a reasonably high risk that cytokine storms in the immune system were involved in the deaths in Mexico--which means that the youngest and healthiest die in much larger percentages than the rest of the population. In the 1918 pandemic [the last truly horrific massive scale pandemic] the milder forms hit first, and then a month or so later a new more deadly muted form returned and killed millions.

It's no joke--wake up and stop being a clown-skeptic; even if the nothing serious comes of this, the potential for disaster is very real.

[CJWebber]

Let me guess. You bought water and generators in preparation for Y2K.

[Paulo1]

Ah Deathcom 4, very serious indeed, Yup very serious indeed.

I cross my heart and promise to be scared.

Of course the last time I was scared it was SARS and I canceled a perfectly good trip to Toronto. And the last time I was afraid of the Swine Flu I was 18 and stood in line for over an hour for a flu vaccine.

Lets see, I was also moderately terrified at having a Fatherland Security vehicle X-ray my car at the US/ Canadian border yesterday. Idiots almost drove over me with that damned light flashing. Which reminds me I was also pretty terrified with those fat National Guardsmen with M16;s at the airport after 9/11.

The list of things I am supposed to be afraid of is rather long and I really really want to go back to the good old days when an American assumed he was paying good tax dollars for smart people to worry about this stuff so he did not have to. But then Bush kind of proved we can't do that any more.

Still it is a chore to be afraid over the flu. But like I said, I promise to try.

[blacknblue2]

Gotta go back farther than Bush there Buppy. They've been play'in the fear card for several decades.

I was just talking about this today. I remember a time when I could legally drive without a seat belt, kids could ride bikes without helmets, they could play dodge ball in schools, on and on.

They aren't going to be cutting back on the fear card.....t­hey like us to be afraid. It gives them power.

[ObamaSheeple]

The Dr. that first reported SARS to the WHO and studied it, died from it.

36,000 people in the U.S. die from regular old influenza every year.

50 million people died from the 1918 sniffles.

Stupid people like you that contract influenza and die, makes the gene pool stronger.

Survival of the fittest and smartest.

[Paulo1]

OK so I will die. Eventually we all will I believe, unless you have a secret to share?

However I will go out unafraid of my neighbor or my world. You of course have the option of cowering as much as you wish.

Don't think it will be the swine flu though, if you read my post you would see that I got the vaccine on the first scare so I should have at least limited immunity. Sorry to disappoint.

[drricklippin]

WHO is premature will this level 4 call

But who can we trust?

THE US CDC NEEDS A COMPLETE OVERHAUL

They have lost the trust of the American public which is both sad and dangerous

See my blog on the CDC- http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

Dr. Rick Lippin
Southampton,Pa

[ObamaSheeple]

Still the best in the world doc. But I agree, it should be better which means more money and staffing.

Not a bad alternative to the war in Iraq.

Oh, and trying to be funny doc? "Who" can we trust?

We can trust the WHO, but must always verify what they say, or anyone for that matter. That is science.

[vinny]

you don't know what you are talking about...