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WHO poised to declare first flu pandemic in over 40 years

2009-06-11 16:34:40 (GMT) (Caymanmama.com - Health News Top Stories News)

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lectron microscope image of the reassorted H1N1 influenza virus

Detroit, Michigan (CaymanMama.com) — The World Health Organization was making preparations on Thursday to declare the first flu pandemic since 1986, making the H1N1 virus (also called the swine flu) the first influenza pandemic in over 40 years, sources confirmed.

The declaration will spawn heightened health preventative measures in the agency’s 193 member states as health officials get ready for the global spread of the H1N1 which has remained relatively mild thus far.

WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan is scheduled to lead a news conference on the pandemic at 1600 GMT.

Flu experts acting as Chan’s advisers met on Thursday and are expected to suggest raising the alert to the highest phase 6 on the WHO’s six-point scale, the sources said. This move would clearly reflect that the flu is spreading geographically, but not specifically indicate how virulent it is.

“Phase 6, if we call a phase 6, doesn’t mean anything concerning severity, it is concerning geographic spread … Pandemic means global, but it doesn’t have any connotation of severity or mildness,” WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said.

“In fact, what we are seeing with this virus so far is overwhelmingly to date mild disease. So we would think that this event is really a moderate event for the time being, because the numbers are high but the disease is overwhelmingly mild,” he explained.



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