Birdflu Mailing List: Re: last scale 5 warning?

[Zsolt Vincze (ZVincze]

By The Associated Press
Under the World Health Organization's alert system on a developing flu 
pandemic, phase 6 is the highest level. At the moment, the world has
risen to 
phase 5 from phase 3 since the outbreak of swine flu in Mexico last
week. 
Here's what the phases mean:

_Phase 3, an animal or human-animal flu virus causes some infections of
people, 
but with little or no subsequent human-to-human transmission.

_Phase 4, verified human-to-human transmission able to cause sustained
disease 
outbreaks in a community. Any country that suspects or has verified such
an 
event should urgently consult with WHO to decide whether rapid moves are
needed 
to avert a pandemic.

_Phase 5, human-to-human spread of the virus in at least two countries
in the 
same region. This is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent, with
little 
time left to finish preparations.

_Phase 6, global pandemic has begun. This includes community level
outbreaks in 
at least one other region. This may trigger countries to activate their
own 
pandemic response plans, though some countries may already have done
this in 
phases 4 or 5. WHO continues to monitor the virus' spread, check for
resistance 
to antivirals and consider whether vaccine producers should be asked to
switch 
from making seasonal flu vaccine to pandemic vaccine. Based on how the
virus 
spreads, WHO may also advise countries to take measures such as closing 
schools, workplaces and mass gatherings. The agency will also make
specific 
recommendations for health workers and doctors as to how to treat the
disease 
and reduce its spread in hospitals. And it will oversee distribution of
its 
emergency stockpile of 5 million antiviral treatments to countries in
need.

-----Original Message-----
From: Kris Simpson [mailto:uuoffice [at] charterinternet.com] 
Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:00 PM
To: Zsolt Vincze
Subject: [Birdflu] last scale 5 warning?

When was the last time WHO issued a scale 5 pandemic?

"A maximum scale 6 pandemic has not been seen since the 60's in Hong
Kong."
http://www.ask.com/bar?q=when+was+the+last+time+WHO+issued+a+level+5+war
ning&page=1&qsrc=0&ab=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.breakingtravelnews.com%2Farti
cle%2F20090430115835962

Kris Simpson
Eau Claire, WI
uuoffice [at] charterinternet.com
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