WHO: Swine Flu has 'Pandemic Potential'
By VOA News
25 April 2009
The head of the World Health Organization says the swine flu outbreak in Mexico and the United States could develop into a pandemic.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan says the outbreak has "pandemic potential" because it is infecting people. But she said it is too early to say whether it will turn into one.
She called an emergency meeting of experts Saturday to discuss the scare. Among other things, the experts are expected to recommend whether WHO should issue any travel advisories or raise its flu pandemic alert level. The current alert level is a three on a scale of six - meaning there is no or very limited risk of a new virus spreading from human to human.
Officials in Mexico City have shut down schools, museums and other public venues because of the swine flu outbreak, which authorities say may have killed more than 60 people and infected about 1,000.
Tests show that some of the Mexican victims died from the same strain that infected eight people in the southwestern U.S. Health officials say the unusual strain contains genetic material from pigs, birds and humans.
Authorities say the American cases have been mild and that all eight people recovered. None of the U.S. patients had any contact with pigs.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says swine flu usually occurs in people who have been exposed to pigs, although human-to-human transmission is also possible. Symptoms resemble the regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. The CDC Web site says some people with swine flu experience a runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
The acting director of the CDC, Richard Besser, says at the moment, most efforts are being concentrated on understanding how the virus is transmitted and how it can be controlled.
U.S. officials say the White House is monitoring the situation.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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