The World Health Organization has raised the threat level for a global swine flu pandemic to level four after Mexico announced that the death toll had probably reached almost 150 and more cases were reported in the U.S. and around the world. In a worrisome development, New Zealand confirmed swine flu among a group of students who had visited Mexico, raising the prospect that the new virus could soon sweep through Asia. And in Mexico officials closed schools throughout the country as residents of Mexico City steered clear of public places.
The WHO has begun the work to create a flu vaccine strain, Time reported Tuesday, but wants pharma companies to continue to make seasonal flu vaccine available to countries in the southern hemisphere, where flu season is just beginning. World health officials are worried that a sudden switch to manufacturing large quantities of an A/H1N1 vaccine would create a sudden shortage of the seasonal jabs.
The WHO's Dr. Keiji Fukuda stressed that the elevated alert did not mean that a global pandemic is inevitable. But the WHO is moving away from taking actions to contain the virus to slowing its spread. The WHO is not asking countries to close borders or restrict travel.
The group may not have to. The U.S. is already recommending that people cancel non-essential travel to Mexico and Europe's leading healthcare expert went even further, adding the U.S. to the list of countries that travelers should avoid.
In New York, meanwhile, officials raised the number of confirmed cases to 28, with a number of students at a New York school and one teacher added to the list of cases. And fresh cases are being confirmed in a variety of countries, including Israel and Spain. Japan said Tuesday that it is refusing Mexican visitors visas and a range of Asian nations have begun to keep a watchful eye out for any new arrivals who appear to have the flu.
Mexican officials say they have traced the outbreak to pig farms in Veracruz.
- here's the Guardian report
- read the report in the New York Times