Swine flu moving toward pandemic level 30 APR 2009: While stressing the need for calm, and saying borders should be kept open, the World Health Organization says the swine flu outbreak is moving closer to becoming a pandemic, as it raised its alert level to phase 5. Dr. Margaret Chan, the UN agency's director-general, said the decision to raise the alert on its 6-point scale indicated that all countries should "immediately" activate pandemic preparedness plans. Canadian carriers have suspended most flights to Mexico, though Air Canada will continue to fly to Mexico City.
Canadian airlines react
Air Canada suspended flights to Cancun, Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta until June 1, but it says based on demand is maintaining service to Mexico City and has waived change fees until May 6.
WestJet, will stop service to Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, effective May 4. Service to all but Cancun will resume on June 20. Cancun, a seasonal destination for WestJet, will return in the fall.
Transat AT suspended Mexico flights until June 1 and is bringing customers and employees now in Mexico back to Canada.
Keep borders open
Germany and Austria became the latest European countries to report swine flu on Wednesday, while the number of cases increased in the UK and Spain.
The WHO and national governments have confirmed 148 cases of swine flu in 11 countries so far. Most of those outside Mexico, are in the United States, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 91 cases.
More than 2,700 other patients worldwide are believed to be suffering from the virus, known scientifically as H1N1.
Chan however, reiterated WHO's recommendation not to close borders or restrict trade in response to the outbreak, saying the world "is better prepared for an influenza pandemic than at any time" in the past.
"We need to maintain a level of calmness so that we will continue to manage this in a rational manner," she said, adding that pork is safe for consumption as long as it is cooked properly”.
What is it?
Swine influenza, or flu, is a contagious respiratory disease that affects pigs. When the flu spreads person to person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it harder to treat or fight, because people have no natural immunity.
Symptoms include fever, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
The medical definition of a pandemic is a disease or epidemic which is spread widely geographically AND which affects a large proportion of the affected population.
The WHO's "Phases of Pandemic Alert," which has been in existence for five years, and phase 5 is characterized as a human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region, signalling that a pandemic is imminent.
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