H1N1 Flu, WHO

http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSL968732._CH_.2400

WHO getting close to declaring H1N1 pandemic


11:51am EDT
GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday it was getting close to declaring a full-blown pandemic caused by the H1N1 virus, which has infected more than 26,500 people in 73 countries.

Keiji Fukuda, acting WHO assistant director-general, voiced concern at the sustained spread of the new strain in countries including Australia following major outbreaks in North America. Confirmed community spread in a second region would trigger moving to phase 6 from phase 5 on its 6-level pandemic alert scale.

Fukuda, asked whether there was any doubt that a pandemic was under way, told a weekly teleconference: "We are really getting very close to that."

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, editing by Andrew Dobbie)