WHO says swine flu situation evolving rapidly

Health 7/7/2009 7:06:00 PM

GENEVA, July 7 (KUNA) -- World Health Organization's (WHO) Assistant Director-General Dr Keiji Fukuda said Tuesday that the situation of A/H1N1 influenza is evolving rapidly. He added, in a news conference, that the pandemic is reported in 137 countries and territories with more than 98,000 confirmed cases and more than 440 deaths. Fukuda explained that the health organization will issue updated surveillance recommendations for countries in the coming days. He added that there are spontaneous mutations of a few cases of a virus which are resistant to Tamivir. The the mutated virus was found in Japan, Denmark and Hong Kong; they are the same mutated virus and they affected three people. "We are monitoring this situation very closely," he said. Fukuda said that discussions were underway to name the pandemic virus, it was decided that the name must be scientifically accurate, and therefore it was suggested to be called A/H1N1 09 virus