Swine flu outbreaks prompt pandemic preparations

According to the WHO, there have been 18 confirmed cases in Mexico and suspected cases have been reported in 19 of the country’s 32 states.

However, the Mexican government said the figure could be far higher, with 1,614 suspected cases and 103 deaths.

The US government has reported 20 laboratory confirmed cases of swine influenza A/H1N1.

There are eight in New York, seven in California, two in Texas, two in Kansas and one in Ohio.

All 20 have caused mild flu symptoms, causing one hospitalisation and no deaths.

Meanwhile, 50 people in New Zealand have been voluntarily quarantined in their own homes because of a suspected outbreak.

In Scotland, two people who have suffered flu-like symptoms are today awaiting test results.

The World Health Organisation has convened an emergency committee to assess the situation and advise its director-general, Dr Margaret Chan, on appropriate responses.

Dr Chan has said that the current events constitute a public health emergency and has urged all countries to be vigilant for flu-like illnesses and severe pneumonia.

The current WHO phase of pandemic alert is three, where there are predominantly animal infections with clusters of human infections.

This means there are a few human-to-human infections, but not enough to sustain outbreaks across a community.

Although the outbreak is currently not virulent enough to cause a pandemic, it can be transmitted through close contact with an infected person – for instance between nurse and patient.

The highest level is six, where there are community-level human-to-human infections in countries across the world.

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