In response to the number of confirmed swine influenza cases in the United States climbing to 91 and the first reported death, a public health emergency has been declared as a precautionary measure to prevent further spread of the virus.
On April 29, the director of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan, M.D., announced, "Based on assessment of all available information, and following several expert consultations, I have decided to raise the current level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to phase 5." Phase 5 would mean we've reached the level of pandemic. In response to the mounting H1N1-swine-flu-related death toll in Mexico, President Felipe Calderon has urged government offices and private businesses that are not crucial to the economy to stop work, as well as asking general citizens to stay indoors, from May 1 to May 5 to avoid further spread of infections.
Presently, there is no vaccine to prevent this specific strain, and it will take 13 weeks from the point of swine flu discovery for one to developed. Story continues below the gallery.
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