WHO declares 21st century’s first flu pandemic

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday declared the swine flu epidemic has reached global pandemic status, the first in 41 years.

The numbers infected with the disease across the world have now almost reached 30,000 and experts say it is unstoppable.

WHO chief Dr Margaret Chan declared the pandemic following an emergency meeting between flu experts and the UN. It means the swine flu virus is spreading in at least two regions of the world with rising cases being seen in Britain, Australia, Japan and Chile.

Dr Chan said she was moving to phase six – the agency’s highest alert level – which means a pandemic, or global epidemic, is under way. “The world is moving into the early days of its first influenza pandemic in the 21st century,” Dr Chan told reporters. “The virus is now unstoppable.”

“However, we do not expect to see a sudden and dramatic jump in the number of severe and fatal infections.” The WHO said 74 countries had reported 28,774 cases of swine flu, including 144 deaths. However, Dr Chan described the danger posed by the virus as “moderate”. The UN agency said most cases were mild and require no treatment, but the fear was that a rash of new infections could overwhelm hospitals and health authorities, especially in poorer countries. The last pandemic, the Hong Kong flu of 1968 killed almost one million people.

Here, Health Minister Mary Harney said she was satisfied Ireland is “completely prepared” for a swine flu pandemic. Preparations had been in train for a number years and particularly over the last number of weeks, she said. “There is nothing that changes from yesterday to today in terms of the advice that will be given to our citizens,” Ms Harney said last night.

The chief medical officer at the Department of Health Dr Tony Holohan pointed out there were four levels in the state’s national pandemic plan and Ireland was at level two where there was a small number of sporadic cases.

Head of health protection in the Health Service Executive Dr Kevin Kelleher said there was enough anti-viral medication to treat half of the population – one of the highest levels in the developed world. He also said the state had secured access to a vaccine based upon the virus and that should arrive in Ireland in the next four to six months.