Three more Swine Flu cases in Murcia as WHO declares a pandemic
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By m.p. - Jun 11, 2009 - 5:52 PM
The alert has been raised to Level 6

Health authorities in the Murcia Region have confirmed another three cases of the A(H1N1) virus, and a fourth probable. La Verdad newspaper reports them as a family who were in the United States in May and who are now in quarantine in their homes. It’s understood friends and other relatives are being closely monitored for any sign of infection.

It brings confirmed cases in the Region up to four. The first was a 26 year old student who returned from Mexico on 22nd April, the paper said.

El Mundo meanwhile reports that the World Health Organisation has increased the alert level from phase 5 to 6, which classifies the Swine Flu outbreak as a pandemic and makes it the first global flu outbreak in more than 40 years. According to the newspaper, raising the alert level means the virus has extended geographically and is maintaining its spread of infection in parts of the globe.

El Mundo however quotes the WHO’s assistant director-general for health security and environment, Dr Keiji Fukuda, saying that it does not mean that ‘the virus has become more serious, that the illness is more severe, or that the mortality rate has increased’. What it does mean is that governments across the world must now put in place their pandemic preparedness plans.

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