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16:06 GMT
GENEVA, July 7 (KUNA) -- World Health Organization's (WHO) Assistant
Director-General Dr Keiji Fukuda said Tuesday that the situation of A/H1N1
influenza is evolving rapidly.
He added, in a news conference, that the pandemic is reported in 137
countries and territories with more than 98,000 confirmed cases and more than
440 deaths.
Fukuda explained that the health organization will issue updated
surveillance recommendations for countries in the coming days.
He added that there are spontaneous mutations of a few cases of a virus
which are resistant to Tamivir. The the mutated virus was found in Japan,
Denmark and Hong Kong; they are the same mutated virus and they affected three
people.
"We are monitoring this situation very closely," he said.
Fukuda said that discussions were underway to name the pandemic virus, it
was decided that the name must be scientifically accurate, and therefore it
was suggested to be called A/H1N1 09 virus. (end)
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