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"To say it is not entrenched in Europe is like denying that the sun rises."
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at the end of this article:
At the moment, the virus appears only to be causing big outbreaks in North America. But once swine flu is proven to be spreading easily in another world region, the agency's criteria for calling a pandemic — a global epidemic — will be fulfilled.
WHO, however, says it is convening an expert panel to determine new criteria for announcing a global outbreak. The agency caved to pressure from member countries, including Britain, who urged the U.N. heath agency not to declare a pandemic.
Oxford said several of the confirmed British and Scottish swine flu cases have no known connection to confirmed cases or travel history. These sporadic cases — where there is no clear chain of transmission — are considered to be evidence a virus is widespread.
WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said the agency was working with national authorities to see if swine flu is spreading more widely in Europe.
Some experts felt nations weren't looking very hard.
"Based on WHO's current definitions, we are in a pandemic," said Michael Osterholm, a flu expert at the University of Minnesota. "To say it is not entrenched in Europe is like denying that the sun rises."
snip snip snip and...
at the end of this article:
At the moment, the virus appears only to be causing big outbreaks in North America. But once swine flu is proven to be spreading easily in another world region, the agency's criteria for calling a pandemic — a global epidemic — will be fulfilled.
WHO, however, says it is convening an expert panel to determine new criteria for announcing a global outbreak. The agency caved to pressure from member countries, including Britain, who urged the U.N. heath agency not to declare a pandemic.
Oxford said several of the confirmed British and Scottish swine flu cases have no known connection to confirmed cases or travel history. These sporadic cases — where there is no clear chain of transmission — are considered to be evidence a virus is widespread.
WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said the agency was working with national authorities to see if swine flu is spreading more widely in Europe.
Some experts felt nations weren't looking very hard.
"Based on WHO's current definitions, we are in a pandemic," said Michael Osterholm, a flu expert at the University of Minnesota. "To say it is not entrenched in Europe is like denying that the sun rises."