Swine flu news from around the world

Pandemic H1N1 influenza is now worldwide, with more than 199 countries and territories reporting laboratory-confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization. The official toll is now more than 6,000 deaths, but WHO authorities think that is an underestimate, since laboratory testing has been reduced and most countries have stopped counting individual cases. Influenza-like illnesses accounted for 8% of visits to physicians' offices in North America during the most recent week for which data were reported to the WHO -- although more current figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had declined slightly to 7.7% -- and 40% of respiratory samples tested were positive for influenza. Virtually 100% of those influenza samples were swine flu. Continue reading