Updated: 27th May 2009 09:40 hrs
WHO to refine flu pandemic criteria

The World Health Organisation will be consulting scientists to clear up the criteria needed before the new Influenza A H1N1 flu outbreak is declared a pandemic.

WHO Assistant Director General Keiji Fukuda said they will meet with a number of prominent scientists and people who have a good perspective on these issues.

The move follows appeals by several countries last week for more caution before moving up a step from the current phase five alert to declaring a pandemic.

Under the current rulebook, phase six would involve a purely geographical step with sustained community spread in another WHO region to the Americas, where the virus first emerged in April.

But officials said last week they were also taking into account issues such as the severity of the virus, possible changes in the pattern of illness, its impact on poor countries and possible mutation.

The outbreak has now infected nearly 13,000 people in 46 countries.

It has also resulted in 92 deaths.