WHO warns of second wave of swine flu
POSTED September 6, 2009 - 16:33 | POSTED BY Jyoti Pal
Last edited by Harpreet Bhagrath on September 6, 2009 - 17:42
The governing body on international public health also stated that close to 254,000 laboratory-confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1) have been reported from various parts of the World.
WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said at a news conference in Geneva that the WHO believes that the actual number of infections are far higher than reported. The United Nations agency no longer requires its 193 member states to report individual cases.
Second wave of pandemic
The WHO has alerted countries in the northern hemisphere to plan for a second wave of pandemic spread. The countries with hot and humid climates also need to gear up for an increasing number of swine flu cases.
The WHO has also advised countries in temperate parts of the southern hemisphere to remain on the guard. Experience suggests that the local “hot spots” of transmission can persist and may occur even when the pandemic has reached its zenith at the national level.
The WHO has also cautioned the developing world, where millions of people have multiple health problems and live without access to basic health care. The virus could have a destructive impact in many parts of the developing world and wreak the already fragile health care system.
Virus may affect a third of the world population
In an alarming disclosure, the WHO spokesperson said that the influenza may eventually affect a third of the world's population.
Referring to the fact that no immediate relief from the flu is in sight, Hartl said, "With the virus circulating so widely around the world, it is unfortunately to be expected that there will be deaths as the volume of cases and deaths is increasing."
The pandemic will persist in the coming months as the virus continues to move through susceptible populations. It remains to be seen whether the virus will mutate into a more virulent strain.
Hartl maintained that, as of now, the virus has not mutated or changed its behavior. Furthermore, there is no evidence to show that the virus is causing harsher illness than before, he claimed.
Worldwide, only a handful of pandemic viruses resistant to oseltamivir have been reported so far. All of these cases have been comprehensively looked into, and no instances of onward transmission of drug-resistant virus have been found.
