CRI听力：Swine Flu Crisis Draw Worldwide Concerns

Anchor:
Meanwhile, authorities of different countries have taken corresponding measures to prevent the spread of the virus. The World Health Organization also said much information is needed before seeking out an effective vaccine. CRI Reporter Chen Xi has the details.

Reporter:
The World Health Organization has said the UN agency was considering raising the pandemic alert level as a result of the increasing number of confirmed swine flu cases in Mexico and elsewhere.(www.hXen.com)

Spain confirmed the first swine flu case outside North America on Monday, and suspected cases from New Zealand to Israel were raising concern that the new virus was spreading rapidly.

However, Mexico still appeared to be the epicenter, with 1,614 suspected swine flu cases and as many as 149 deaths in which the virus is suspected.

WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said the UN agency was weighing up the decision.

"Phase 4 means that there is only really transmission in one given community, and that if we see cases elsewhere, the cases are either just sporadic or let's say imported from the original location. And in phase 4, there is still the idea that we might be able to mount a containment operation."

Raising the pandemic alert level to level 4 from the current level of 3 would be an official recognition that the disease was being passed among people.

Hartl noted the Centers for Disease Control in the United States was already laying the ground work for creating a vaccine targeted at the Mexican strain of the virus.

Dick Thompson, another WHO spokesperson, gave out the advice by suggesting countries to upgrade surveillance level.

"One of the things that we have asked countries to do is to step up surveillance. Countries already have existing surveillance networks and we've asked countries to ratchet those up, so they're extremely sensitive and they'll be looking at clusters or cases of people who have influenza."

WHO has reported on Monday that there are now 73 confirmed cases of swine flu worldwide.

It said the laboratory-confirmed cases include 40 in the United States, 26 in Mexico, six in Canada and one in Spain.

Swine flue is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses. Outbreaks of swine flu happen regularly in pigs.

According to official medical data, people do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. Most commonly, human cases of swine flu happen in people who are around pigs but it's possible for swine flu viruses to spread from person to person.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that this virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, it is still not known how easily the virus spreads between people.

Chen Xi, CRI News