WHO: Not-So-Deadly Swine Flu Now Pandemic

After forecasting a swine flu pandemic for a good month or so, the World Health Organization (WHO) has now given the H1N1 virus official level 6 status. What this means is nothing particularly new: A pandemic occurs when a novel influenza virus causes several, simultaneous epidemics worldwide, according to WHO. In the case of H1N1, the virus is spreading in at least 2 regions, reports the BBC; specifically, rising numbers of cases are being observed in the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and Chile.

As of yesterday, 74 countries had reported a total of 27,727 cases of swine flu, the majority of which have occurred in Mexico and the United States. But the virus has caused only 141 deaths, for an overall mortality rate of about one half of 1%.

Country	Cases	Deaths	Mortality Rate, %
Mexico	5717	106	1.9
United States	13,217	27	0.2
Canada	2446	4	0.2
Chile	1694	2	0.1
Dominican Republic	91	1	1.1
Total	23,258	141	0.6

Swine flu in humans first emerged in Mexico last April; although Oxford scientists estimate that the H1N1 virus could have been transmitted from pigs to people as early as August of last year, writes the AP.