Swine flu: The WHO alert procedures

The World Health Organization (WHO), one of whose major functions is to coordinate health emergencies among its 194 members, has established a warning system against larger infections of animal origin, comprising six levels.

•     The stage now, it could raise Monday, is 3, marking the pandemic potential of the disease, the pandemic can be declared at the sixth and final level.
  
      Under the new scale of WHO established in 2005 after the threat of avian flu, the first three levels correspond to a phase of preparation, the infection mostly animal has yet caused few victims among men.
  
      While in phase 2, the influenza virus of animal origin contaminated the first humans, the level 3 is activated when the virus is active in several homes but does not spread among humans yet massively. At this stage, the experts consider as a potential pandemic.
  
      Phase 4 marks a significant rise in the risk of a pandemic, says WHO, verified with a transmission between humans of a virus capable of causing an epidemic in a community. The countries concerned are obliged to inform as soon as possible the UN organization. This stage does not mean that a pandemic is inevitable, says WHO.
  
      According to the UN, the beginning of phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that only very little time to prepare. At this stage, the disease has homes in two countries over the same region.
  
      Finally, stage 6 is activated when the pandemic is officially declared. According to the criteria set by the WHO, it is necessary that two distinct regions in the world are affected by the virus.
  
      The transition from one stage to another is decided by the Emergency Committee of the International Health Regulations, a body composed of fifteen international experts convened by WHO.
  
      Its role is to set the path for all countries and authorities in the world and the actions to be taken in case of emergency, said Sunday the Deputy Director of WHO, Keiji Fukuda.
  
      Met for the first time Saturday on the swine flu that has claimed at least 20 dead in Mexico and seems to spread around the world, the Committee found the situation serious and said it was a health emergency of international concern. This means in WHO codifications as the situation requires special attention and increased vigilance on the part of all countries.
  
      He estimated, however, that he needed more information before raising the alert level to Phase 4.
  
      
  Ennaharonline/ M. O.