World Health Organization raising swine flu alert to highest level. Its First Global Flu Epidemic In 41 Years.
The move came Thursday as infections climbed in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere.
In a statement sent to member countries, WHO said it decided to raise the pandemic alert level from phase 5 to 6, meaning that a global outbreak of swine flu has begun.
The decision was made after the U.N. health agency held an emergency meeting on swine flu with its experts.Phase 6 is WHO's highest alert level and means that a swine flu pandemic is under way. The last pandemic -- the Hong Kong flu of 1968 -- killed about 1 million people. Ordinary flu kills about 250,000 to 500,000 people each year.
