The swine flu virus alert level is still pegged at phase 5 on a 6-point scale. Though the World Health Organization (WHO) says that a pandemic is imminent (phase 6), the flu virus that has spread globally has not reached the highest health crisis alert level. The WHO also has not scheduled any meetings of its emergency committee as of yet.
The WHO’s latest update on the virus infection is relayed through the statement: “The new flu strain, which it calls Influenza A (H1N1), had been confirmed to have infected 331 people in 11 countries, including 10 deaths.”
The latest human-to-human infection occurred in Spain when one person was in contact with a traveler from Mexico. The WHO has declared, however, that there is no proof of ‘sustained, community-based human-to-human transmission in Europe.’
The WHO is negotiating for the development of a specific vaccine for the current disease, but the development period will take six months. The international health agency likewise requested the manufacturer of Tamiflu, currently the antiviral proven to effectively combat the virus, to provide supplies of the drug to developing countries that might need it.
