'Very close to knowing' if swine flu at pandemic level: WHO

Situation in Canada's aboriginal communities of 'great concern,' WHO warns
June 9, 2009

The World Health Organization is moving closer to declaring a pandemic of swine flu but wants to avoid excessive panic surrounding such a declaration, the agency's top flu expert said Tuesday.
"One critical issue is we do not want people to 'over-panic' if they hear we are in a pandemic situation," Keiji Fukuda, acting WHO assistant director-general, told a news conference in Geneva.

WHO is concerned about sustained spread of swine flu in countries such as Australia, which had 1,051 cases as of Monday.

To move its pandemic alert from the current Phase 5 to Phase 6 or a full-blown pandemic, the agency is looking for confirmed spread in the community in a second region outside of North America.

WHO worried about Canada's aboriginal communities

Fukuda noted the situation in Canada's aboriginal communities is of "great concern."

As of Monday, Canada had a total of 2,446 confirmed cases. Of these, the more severe cases are concentrated among people from northern and aboriginal communities, and those with underlying health conditions.

In Manitoba, for example, as of Sunday night, 26 people were in intensive care for swine flu and more than half of those were of aboriginal descent.

On Monday, Nunavut reported 19 new cases, raising the total in the territory to 25. So far, the Yukon has one confirmed case and the Northwest Territories has two.

It's not clear what factors might be causing more severe cases in northern and aboriginal communities.


Possibilities include:

• Genetics.
• Underlying chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes.
• Poor living conditions like overcrowded housing and lack of running water.

There have been three deaths linked to swine flu in Canada so far.
WHO is concerned that vulnerable populations in South America and Africa could also be hit hard.

The number of deaths reported from swine flu worldwide has reached 140, and the number of cases has increased to 26,563 in 70 countries since the outbreak first appeared in Mexico in May.

"We are getting really very close to knowing that we are in a pandemic situation," Fukuda said.
hat-tip Muscade