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Geneva:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday that they are now dealing with 1025 confirmed cases in 20 countries, although warned that the numbers were constantly changing.
WHO Assistant Director-General, Dr Keiji Fukuda gave the latest figures at a news conference in Geneva.
The heads of the United Nations and the World Health Organisation said on Monday there are no imminent plans to raise the pandemic level on swine flu to its highest alert. But officials indicated going to phase 6, the maximum level, might be an eventuality. WHO raised the level to 5 last week.
According to the WHO's pandemic phase definitions, Phase 5 also means the agency believes a global outbreak is "imminent."
Though Mexican authorities believe the outbreak may have peaked, WHO maintains it is still too early to tell if the outbreak is slowing down.
Meanwhile, Southern hemisphere countries that have largely escaped swine flu infections could soon become more vulnerable, experts warn, as the approaching winter brings with it an elevated risk of the virus spreading and mutating.
So far, the worst affected nations - such as Mexico, the United States, Canada and countries in Europe - have been in the northern hemisphere, which is heading into summer.
To the south of the equator, cooler weather is imminent.
"We have concerns about the infection travelling to the southern hemisphere because that part of the world will be heading into the winter months and the winter months are when virus usually thrive," Fukuda said on Monday.
WHO Assistant Director-General, Dr Keiji Fukuda gave the latest figures at a news conference in Geneva.
The heads of the United Nations and the World Health Organisation said on Monday there are no imminent plans to raise the pandemic level on swine flu to its highest alert. But officials indicated going to phase 6, the maximum level, might be an eventuality. WHO raised the level to 5 last week.
According to the WHO's pandemic phase definitions, Phase 5 also means the agency believes a global outbreak is "imminent."
Though Mexican authorities believe the outbreak may have peaked, WHO maintains it is still too early to tell if the outbreak is slowing down.
Meanwhile, Southern hemisphere countries that have largely escaped swine flu infections could soon become more vulnerable, experts warn, as the approaching winter brings with it an elevated risk of the virus spreading and mutating.
So far, the worst affected nations - such as Mexico, the United States, Canada and countries in Europe - have been in the northern hemisphere, which is heading into summer.
To the south of the equator, cooler weather is imminent.
"We have concerns about the infection travelling to the southern hemisphere because that part of the world will be heading into the winter months and the winter months are when virus usually thrive," Fukuda said on Monday.
