Number of A/H1N1 flu cases rises sharply

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Source: CCTV.com | 05-08-2009 09:21

The World Health Organization says the number of confirmed cases of the A/H1N1 flu has risen by more than a quarter in 24 hours. The WHO warns that up to 2 billion people could be infected by the A/H1N1 flu IF the current outbreak turns into a pandemic.

An airport official checks a thermal camera system,  which monitors the body heat of passengers arriving from abroad, at Ferihegy Airport in Budapest May 6, 2009. REUTERS/Karoly Arvai

A senior official from the World Health Organization said on Thursday the number was not a prediction. But that experience with flu pandemics showed one-third of the world's population gets infected.

Keiji Fukuda, WHO flu chief, said, "If you look at past pandemics, it would be a reasonable estimate to say perhaps a third of the world's population would get infected with this virus."

Fukuda says it is impossible for the WHO to say whether the outbreak will turn into a pandemic, or whether it will be a mild or severe strain of influenza.

Last week, the WHO raised its alert to five, one step short of a pandemic. Fukuda says it is impossible to predict if there would ever be a phase 6.

Editor:Liu Anqi