WHO says H1N1 virus moves closer to pandemic status
Published:Tuesday | June 9, 2009 | 2:06 PM
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it is getting closer to declaring the H1N1 virus a pandemic.
The acting WHO assistant director-general, Keiji Fukuda, says the sustained spread of the virus, particularly in North America and Australia, is cause for concern.
If community spreading extends to a second region the organisation would move the virus from level 5 to 6 which is the maximum on the pandemic alert scale.
Fukuda says it is critical that persons do not panic if the virus reaches pandemic status.