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Countries consider ways to cease spread of swine flu as numbers rise

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Officials with WHO’s Emergency Committee of the International Health Regulations are expected to meet tomorrow to discuss the latest information on the swine influenza cases, including whether they should raise the pandemic level from 3 to 4. Meanwhile, European health officials were cautioning Europeans to carefully weigh travel decisions to Mexico and the United States.

Mexico has reported 18 deaths caused by swine influenza A/H1N1, but they suspect dozens more deaths may have been caused by the illness, and health officials believe more than 1,600 cases of this type of influenza have been reported there. The World Bank is lending Mexico $205 million to fund its efforts to fight the spread of swine flu.

In the United States, health officials confirmed 20 cases of swine influenza A/H1N1, spread out over New York, California, Texas, Kansas and Ohio. CDC officials said that all 20 cases have been mild, with only one requiring brief hospitalization. The cases in New York are believed to be among people who recently traveled to Mexico.

CDC investigators said all 20 viruses in the United States have the same genetic pattern based on preliminary testing. The virus is being described as a new subtype of A/H1N1 not previously detected in swine or humans, and it is believed to be passed from human to human.

In a prepared statement, Keiji Fukuda, MD, WHO’s assistant director-general, said this strain of swine influenza’s ability to move from human to human has “raised questions about whether we are entering into a pandemic period.” In a meeting Saturday, officials with WHO’s Emergency Committee deliberated on this and whether to increase the pandemic threat level, and he said they will likely meet again tomorrow to deliberate on this issue.

Meanwhile, Andorra Vassiliou, the European Union’s health commissioner, recommended against travel to North America, and several other countries reportedly looking at plans to restrict the virus from entering their borders.

WHO officials said they are sending experts to Mexico to work with health authorities. WHO and its partners are actively investigating reports of suspect cases in other Member States as they occur, and are supporting field epidemiology activities, laboratory diagnosis and clinical management.

For more information, visit the CDC's swine influenza website.