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Pandemic Alert Nearing Phase Six Says WHO

The World Health Organisation stated to the media yesterday (2nd June) that the world is nearer to the top pandemic alert – phase 6.

Keiji Fukuda, acting WHO assistant director-general, said the spread of H1N1 flu in a number of countries appear to be in transition, "moving from travel-related cases to more established community types of spread". The full picture of the swine flu virus, and the illness it causes, is not yet clear. He insisted that this influenza cannot be labeled "mild" as important data are still missing.

WHO, in collaboration with national and international public health organizations, is working to revise the six-point pandemic scale so that the top alert reflects the severity of the flu and not just the geographical pattern of its spread.

Meanwhile in the UK, as of 3rd June, cases have increased to a total of 362 cases overall with 2 of the cases being critical but stable according to the NHS Swine Flu website. This breaks down as: 295 in England, 65 in Scotland, one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.

Source: WHO / NHS


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