Swine flu pandemic confirmed

Swine flu has reached pandemic levels around the world, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The group has raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase five to phase six, which is the highest possible.

There have now been around 30,000 confirmed cases of the H1N1 influenza virus, with people in 74 countries being afflicted.

Dr Margaret Chan, director-general of WHO, said that further spread of the disease "is considered inevitable".

The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic. We are in the earliest days of the pandemic. The virus is spreading under a close and careful watch," she said.

"Worldwide, the number of deaths is small. Each and every one of these deaths is tragic, and we have to brace ourselves to see more. However, we do not expect to see a sudden and dramatic jump in the number of severe or fatal infections."

The majority of swine flue cases have occurred in people aged under 25.

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