Swine flu ‘most serious concern’ for world: UN chief
April 28th, 2009 - 12:23 am ICT by IANSNew York, April 27 (Xinhua) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said here Monday the outbreak of swine flu “has become one of the most serious concerns of the international community”, and called for “global solidarity” to fight the epidemic.
Ban, in a statement he read out to the press, said: “We are concerned that this (swine flu) virus would cause a new influenza pandemic.”
“If we are indeed facing a pandemic, we need to demonstrate global solidarity,” Ban said.
“We are concerned that this virus could cause a new influenza pandemic. It could be mild, in its effect, or potentially be severe,” he said.
“We do not yet know which way it will go. But we are concerned that, in Mexico, most of those who died were young and healthy adults”.
Meanwhile, the number of people died of an influenza-type illness in Mexico has risen to 149, according to Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos.
However, the World Health Organisation has said of the 149 deaths in Mexico, only 26 cases have been confirmed as a result of swine flu.
More than 1,000 people have been hospitalized in Mexico.
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- Swine flu probably originated in US, says Mexico - Mar 30, 2010
- Death rate from swine flu slows down in Mexico - Apr 28, 2009
- Mexico swine flu toll rises to 22 - May 04, 2009
- WHO Declares Swine Flu Pandemic Officially Over - Aug 11, 2010
- Mexico denies hiding information on flu - May 13, 2009
- Worldwide swine flu cases top 1,000 (Roundup) - May 04, 2009
- WHO: H1N1 not over as yet - Jun 04, 2010
- Toll in Mexico's flu epidemic rises to 103 (Lead) - Apr 27, 2009
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- Mexico expects swine flu infections to peak at New Year - Nov 27, 2009
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Tags: adults, ban ki moon, deaths, epidemic, flu, flu virus, global solidarity, health minister, influenza, influenza pandemic, influenza type, jose angel, mexico, outbreak, serious concerns, swine flu, un secretary general, world health organisation, xinhua