WHO raises flu alert after possible risk of pandemic

The World Health Organisation has raised its flu pandemic alert level from three to four, signalling a "significant increase in risk of a pandemic."

Keiji Fukuda, acting WHO assistant-general for health, security and the environment, told journalists that while the hike is a "significant step towards pandemic influenza, it's also a phase which says we are not there yet."

Experts met earlier yesterday to decide if the WHO should raise the alert level as the death toll from the virus rose to 149 in Mexico.

Fukuda said that experts also recommended during the meeting that the virus is currently too "widespread to make containment a feasible" strategy.

As a result, "focusing on mitigation is really an important focus" for countries dealing with the disease, he said. Fukuda also stressed that experts did not recommend closing borders or restricting travel.

"With the virus being widespread... closing borders or restricting travel really has very little effects in stopping the movement of this virus," he said.