Note: the current pandemic WHO level is at “phase 6″, that is the most severe level.
The pandemic levels of the WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) is the organization responsible for the global coordination of epidemic efforts. The WHO originated an Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response System (EPR).
Threats like the swine flu will be treated according to an Influenza Preparedness Plan. This plan is defining phases about the seriousness of a current epidemic problem. The meaning of the phases is to give a measure for the severity of a threat. It is used to raise global alerts about flu outbreaks.
WHO Pandemic Alert Levels
- Phase 1
- Animal influenza viruses exist among animals, but are not causing infections in humans.
- Phase 2
- Animal influenza viruses exist among animals and have caused infections in a small number of humans.
- Phase 3
- Animal or animal-human flu viruses have caused infections in a larger number of people, yet the infections aren’t generally spreading from human to human.
- Phase 4
- Animal-human flu viruses are causing infections in a larger number of humans and the virus spreads easily from human to human.
- Phase 5
- The phase 4 human-to-human transmission of animal-human flu viruses has occurred in at least two countries of one WHO region.
- Phase 6
- The flu virus is spreading widely in at least two countries of one WHO region and in at least one country of a second WHO region.
Find out more about the Swine Flu at our home page.
