AP: WHO declares first flu pandemic in 41 years
Thursday, June 11th, 2009AP:
GENEVA (AP) – The World Health Organization says the spread of swine flu has created the first globalflu epidemic in 41 years.
The announcement by WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan came Thursday as infections climbed in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere to near 30,000 cases.
Chan said she decided to raise the pandemic alert level from phase 5 to 6, meaning that a global outbreak of swine flu has begun, after an emergency meeting on swine flu with top experts.