LOC14:53
11:53 GMT
GENEVA, Sept 25 (KUNA) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) announced
Friday that the number of reported cases of the H1N1 pandemic worldwide has
reached at least 318925, and has caused over 3917 deaths.
In the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, influenza-like-illness
(ILI) activity continues to increase in many areas.
In North America, the United States has reported continued increases in
activity above the seasonal baseline for the last 2 to 3 weeks, primarily in
the southeast, but now also appearing in the upper midwest and the northeast.
In Europe and Central and Western Asia, the United Kingdom is reporting
regional increases in ILI activity in Northern Ireland and Scotland and the
Netherlands, France, Ireland, and Israel are reporting rates above the
seasonal baseline.
In Japan, influenza activity continues to be slightly above the seasonal
epidemic threshold. The increases in ILI activity have been accompanied by
increases in laboratory isolations of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009 in most of
these areas.
In the tropical regions of the Americas and Asia, influenza activity
remains variable. In parts of India, Bangladesh and Cambodia, influenza
transmission continues to be active, while other countries in the Southeast
Asia have been recently reporting declining transmission (Indonesia, Singapore
and Thailand).
Although most countries in the tropical regions of the Americas are still
reporting regional to widespread geographic spread of influenza activity,
there is no consistent pattern in the trend of respiratory diseases.
Peru and Mexico have reported an increasing trend in some areas, while most
others are reporting an unchanged or decreasing trend (most notably Bolivia,
Venezuela and Brazil).
In the temperate regions of the southern hemisphere, influenza transmission
has largely returned to baseline (Chile, Argentina, and New Zealand) or is
continuing to decline (Australia and South Africa). (end)
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