The Swine Flu Pandemic - Critical
Alert:
American health officials declared a public health emergency as cases of swine flu
were confirmed in the U.S. Health officials across the world fear this could be the leading edge of a global
pandemic emerging from Mexico, where seven people are confirmed dead as a result of the new virus.
On Wednesday April 29th, the World
Health Organization (WHO) raised its pandemic alert level to five on its
six-level threat scale, which means they've determined that the virus is capable of human-to-human transmission.
The initial outbreaks across North America reveal an infection already traveling at higher velocity than did the
last official pandemic strain, the 1968 Hong Kong flu.
Phase 5 had never been declared since the warning system was introduced in 2005 in response to the avian influenza crisis. Phase 6 means a
pandemic is under way.
Several nations have imposed travel bans, or made plans to quarantine air travelers
that present symptoms of the swine flu despite the fact that WHO now openly states it is not possible to contain
the spread of this infection and recommends mitigation measures, not restricting travel or closing
borders
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