世界衛生組織（World Health Organization，WHO）4月29日表示，A型豬流感H1N1病毒正快速散播中。秘書長陳馮富珍（Margaret Chan）已將該種流感大流行的警戒等級從6個等級中的第四級提高為第五級。陳博士表示，她是以所有可獲得的資料進行評估，以及諮詢衛生專家之後決定的。
墨西哥市戴上口罩的民眾。照片提供：世界銀行
陳馮富珍提到：「所有國家都應立即啟動他們的大流行備戰計畫」，並建議這些國家要對類似流感病情與嚴重肺炎（pneumonia）的不尋常爆發提高警覺。
第五級警戒是以病毒人傳人的狀況發生在1個WHO管轄區域內的至少2個國家為晉級依據。當大部分國家尚未在這個階段受到影響時，宣告第五級警戒是表示大流行即將發生的強烈信號，並且要在很短時間內完成組織、溝通與執行已規劃的緩解方案。
陳馮富珍建議：「提昇警戒等級是要將訊息傳給各國政府、給衛生及其他管理部門、給製藥產業及商業團體，表示現在應該更緊急地採取某些行動，並且要加快腳步進行。」
已有9個國家正式通報148個A型豬流感H1N1病毒感染病例，共有8個人已確定因此病死亡。墨西哥通報26個確定的人類感染病例，其中7人死亡；美國通報91個由實驗室確認的人類感染病例，其中1人死亡。在美國所確認的第一個死亡案例發生在休斯頓（Houston），是一個來自墨西哥市（Mexico City）的22個月大男童，他在4月稍早就住進美國德州布朗斯維爾（Brownsville）的醫院，當地4月27日晚間在休斯頓的醫院死亡。
一項初步的調查顯示，這名男童在4月4日曾與家人從墨西哥市搭乘一家商用飛機前往墨西哥的馬塔莫羅斯（Matamoros），拜訪一位住在布朗斯維爾的親戚，這個城市就位於剛跨過美墨邊境的地方。
豬流感病例的實驗室驗證是由位於亞特蘭大（Atlanta）的美國疾病管制中心（U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention）完成的，醫師們相信那位男童在進入美國之前就感染了豬流感。
儘管調查仍持續進行中，德州的衛生官員表示，那位男童在墨西哥飛往馬塔莫羅斯的飛機上時看來還不具有傳染性，已知與他有近身接觸者事後都沒有出現類似流感症狀的發病情形。
墨西哥的衛生局長（Health Secretary）蔻德瓦（Jose Angel Cordova）4月28日向記者透露，在159名可能與流感有關且因嚴重非典型肺炎（atypical pneumonia）或嚴重呼吸功能不足（respiratory insufficiency）而死亡的病例中，有7名已經確認是豬流感病例。
其他7個已經通報實驗室確認病例的國家，還沒有出現死亡病例，其中澳洲通報1例，加拿大13例，德國3例，以色列2例，紐西蘭3例，西班牙4例，英國5例。
世界衛生組織表示，在這個階段，有效且必要的方案包括提高監測行動、早期個案檢測與治療、以及在所有醫療場所進行感染控制。
Swine influenza A/H1N1 is spreading rapidly, the World Health Organization announced today. Director-General Margaret Chan raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to phase 5, out of six possible levels. Dr. Chan said her decision was based on assessment of all available information and consultations with health experts.
"All countries should immediately activate their pandemic preparedness plans," said Chan, advising countries to remain on high alert for unusual outbreaks of influenza-like illness and severe pneumonia.
Phase 5 is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region. While most countries will not be affected at this stage, the declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.
"This change to a higher phase of alert is a signal to governments, to ministries of health and other ministries, to the pharmaceutical industry and the business community that certain actions should now be undertaken with increased urgency, and at an accelerated pace," Chan advised.
Nine countries have officially reported 148 cases of the swine flu A/H1N1 infection. A total of eight people are confirmed to have died of the disease. Mexico has reported 26 confirmed human cases of infection including seven deaths. The U.S. government has reported 91 laboratory confirmed human cases, with one death.
The first confirmed swine flu death in the United States happened in Houston. A 22-month-old boy from Mexico City who was hospitalized earlier this month in Brownsville, died Monday night in a Houston hospital.
A preliminary investigation indicates that on April 4 the boy had traveled with his family on a commercial flight from Mexico City to Matamoros, Mexico, for a visit with relatives in Brownsville, just across the Mexico-Texas border.
Swine flu was confirmed in laboratory testing done by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Doctors believe the boy contracted the swine flu before coming to the United States.
Though an investigation continues, state health officials said the boy would not have been infectious on the Mexico-to-Matamoros flight and that none of the boy's known close contacts have subsequently become ill with influenza-like symptoms.
Mexico's Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova told reporters Tuesday that of the 159 deaths from serious atypical pneumonia or serious respiratory insufficiency possibly associated with flu, seven have been confirmed as swine flu.
Seven other countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (13), Germany (3), Israel (2), New Zealand (3), Spain (4) and the United Kingdom (5).
At this stage, says the World Health Organization, effective and essential measures include heightened surveillance, early detection and treatment of cases, and infection control in all health facilities.
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