WHO declares pandemic of novel H1N1 virus

(CIDRAP News)

After delaying action for weeks as the novel H1N1 influenza virus took hold in far-flung parts of the globe, the World Health Organization (WHO) today declared a full-fledged pandemic, formally recognizing that the virus is becoming a global contagion.
WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan announced the long-expected move to pandemic alert phase 6, meaning that the virus has caused sustained community outbreaks in more than one global region. The move comes amid growing signs of community transmission in Australia, Chile, and the United Kingdom—far from the epidemic's birthplace in Mexico and the United States.