WHO chief urges swine flu vigilance

BAKU. August 17. KAZINFORM The world must remain on its guard against H1N1 influenza, which has been mild so far but could become more serious as the northern hemisphere heads into winter, the head of the World Health Organisation said on Sunday, Reuters reported; Kazinform cites Trend News.

Margaret Chan, on a visit to Tanzania, noted that most people infected with swine flu had suffered only mild symptoms but it affected certain groups such as pregnant women and people with underlying medical conditions much more severely.

The Geneva-based United Nations agency declared H1N1 a full pandemic in June. It has now spread to nearly 180 countries.

In its latest update last week, the WHO said laboratory-confirmed deaths from the flu strain totalled at least 1,462. While the WHO says at least 177,000 people have caught the disease the real number is probably in the millions.

Chan noted that many people in Africa already suffer from diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, or are undernourished, putting them in the vulnerable category.

"These people would be at greater risk of getting severe disease," she said; Kazinform refers to Trend News.

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