WHO declares H1N1 flu pandemic

The World Health Organisation declared a H1N1 flu pandemic on Thursday, raising its alert to the maximum level six as a total of 74 countries are now affected by the virus. The number of A(H1N1) infections reported to the health agency had reached 27737, including 141 deaths.

The WHO was holding a meeting at its headquarters in Geneva amid growing evidence the virus, which originated in Mexico two months ago, is now being widely transmitted between humans in Asia and Europe as well as the Americas.

Under WHO guidelines, one key criteria for declaring a pandemic would be established community spread in a country outside the first region in which the disease was initially reported. The Geneva-based UN body last declared a flu pandemic 40 years ago.