 (photo: AP / Kent Gilbert) |
The move to a phase 5 alert means there is sustained human-to-human spread in at least two countries and WHO believes a global outbreak of the disease is imminent.
 The raised alert level signals increased efforts to find a vaccine [EPA] |
"Influenza pandemics must be taken seriously precisely because of their capacity to spread rapidly to every country in the world," she told a news conference in Geneva, adding that "all countries should immediately now activate their pandemic preparedness plans".
Vaccine search
"It really is all of humanity that is under threat during a pandemic," she said.
The increase in alert level also means that there will be greater efforts to produce a vaccine.
Paul Garwood, a WHO spokesman in Geneva, told Al Jazeera that while there was no vaccine for the new virus, it could be treated with drugs.
"It's new, it's causing severe illnesses in Mexico and people should be aware of this.
"At the same time we know that this illness can be treated with drugs that are on the market and that symptoms are mild and they are recovering."
More countries confirm cases
WHO has thus far confirmed human cases of swine flu in Mexico, the US, Canada, Britain, Israel, New Zealand and Spain. Separately, Germany and Austria have also confirmed cases.
| Swine flu: At a glance |
Countries with confirmed cases: Mexico, the US, Canada, New Zealand, Spain, Israel, Britain, Germany and Austria Countries with suspected cases: Australia, Brazil, France, Chile, Denmark, Switzerland, Colombia, Germany, Norway, South Korea, Guatemala Influenza epidemics: |
Annual influenza epidemics are thought to result in three to five million cases of severe illness and between 250,000 and 500,000 deaths around the world, WHO says.In the US, a 23-month-old Mexican child died on Wednesday, becoming the first person outside of Mexico to be killed by the swine flu.
The family of the child had recently travelled from Mexico City, crossing the border into Texas, US officials said.
At least five other people across the US were also taken to hospital after falling ill from the virus.
Barack Obama, the US president, described the situation as serious and urged US schools with suspected cases to close.
In a speech marking his first 100 days in office, he also urged Americans to take precautions such as washing hands and avoiding work, school and travel if ill.
"We are continuing to closely monitor the emerging cases of the H1N1 flu virus throughout the United States … this is obviously a very serious situation, and every American should know that their entire government is taking the utmost precautions and preparations," he said.
Obama called on local officials to be vigilant in tracking suspected cases and said "more extensive steps" may be required.
He has asked congress for $1.5bn so the government can respond adequately to the threat, saying that it being a new strain of flu, it was not yet known how the situation would play out.
Reports of the toddler's death in Texas came hours after Germany's national disease centre said three people there had the flu strain and Austria confirmed its first case of the virus.
Economic cost
Al Jazeera's Franc Contreras, reporting from Mexico City, the capital of the country where the virus is thought to have originated, said the government downgraded the number of deaths linked to the flu from 26 to eight on Wednesday.
 A phase 5 alert means there is sustained human-to-human transmission [EPA] |
Jose Angel Cordova, the health minister, said the food, medical and transportation sectors would not be affected.
People were still going about their daily business, trying to keep some semblance of normality, but schools were still closed, creating a major inconvenience, and causing some parents to consider taking their children to the workplace, our correspondent added.
But the virus has begun to bite hard in an economy already reeling from the global downturn.
"It really is all of humanity that is under threat during a pandemic" Margaret Chan, |
Mexico has estimated the outbreak is costing companies at least $57m a day and contributing to a 36 per cent loss in tourism revenue.
The country's finance ministry has established a $450m fund to fight the virus, after health authorities said up to 159 people there may have died from the new strain of H1N1 virus.
Health ministers from the region are to hold an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss the threat of a pandemic while WHO was set to hold a "scientific review" of the outbreak to collect what was known about how the disease spreads, how it affects human health and how it can be treated.
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