In June 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the spread of the influenza A H1N1 virus (or swine flu) to be a pandemic. This is the first time since 1968 that the WHO has upgraded the spread of a flu virus to a full level six alert. While the word pandemic creates fear for the public, to the WHO, this is a way of acknowledging the spread of the illness across a broad region and to let governments know that it is appropriate to step up the implementation of any plans to mitigate the spread of the disease. These plans could range from ramping up vaccine production to reviewing plans for community preparedness.

The strain of influenza that is currently of concern is influenza A virus subtype H1N1, which is described by scientists as a slightly different mix from what has occurred before. This strain is a combination of one type of virus that is endemic in humans, one that is endemic in birds, and two that are endemic in pigs (swine). With the spread of the disease to 76 countries in just a few months, the WHO stressed that the June 11, 2009, pandemic declaration was a result of the global spread of the virus, not its severity. Thus far, by mid-June 2009, only 180 deaths could be confirmed as attributable to this flu. However, scientists are concerned that the disease may become more virulent by next autumn. Even if it is no more devastating than seasonal flu, it could still be quite bad. On average, annual influenza is estimated to affect 5 to 15 percent of the global population, resulting in severe illness in 3 to 5 million patients and causing 250,000 to 500,000 deaths worldwide.

While the H1N1 virus is thought to have started infecting people as early as January 2009, it was not picked up as anything of note until late March when Mexico City first reported a surge in influenza-like illnesses that had begun occurring as early as February. The virus was not identified as a new strain of influenza until April 24, 2009.

As the disease spread throughout Mexico and into the United States, scientists began puzzling over a curious circumstance. In Mexico, the death statistics for this flu were far higher than those in the United States where most people have experienced it as a mild illness. Those Americans who have died thus far have usually had another underlying illness. Some scientists theorize that Mexico may actually have had a much larger epidemic of this flu than is being reported and that would explain the far higher numbers of those for whom the disease has been more serious or fatal. . .

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