Main navigation Home About WHO Countries Health topics Publications Data and statistics Programmes and projects EPR Home	Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response (EPR)   Country activities | Outbreak news | Resources | Media centre   WHO > Programmes and projects > Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response (EPR) > Diseases covered by EPR > Influenza A(H1N1) Main content Influenza A(H1N1) WHO is coordinating the global response to human cases of influenza A(H1N1) and monitoring the corresponding threat of an influenza pandemic. Current situation 4 May 2009 -- As of 06:00 GMT, 4 May 2009, 20 countries have officially reported 985 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection. Numbers of laboratory-confirmed cases and deaths Maps of laboratory-confirmed cases and deaths     GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS   WHO ad hoc scientific teleconference on the current influenza A(H1N1) situation, 29 April 2009 4 May 2009 Advice on the use of masks in the community setting in Influenza A (H1N1) outbreaks 3 May 2009 Instruction on how to obtain CDC realtime RT-PCR kits for detection of influenza A(H1N1) 2 May 2009 Complete list of guidance documents FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Vaccines for the influenza A(H1N1) What is influenza A(H1N1)? What is a pandemic? Is it safe to travel? Complete list of FAQs   RELATED LINKS Ministry of Health of Mexico Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention			MEDIA CENTRE   For more information, call the special media telephone line: +41 22 791 2222   Virtual press briefings Centre for Strategic Health Operation (SHOC) GET LATEST NEWS Influenza A(H1N1) news via RSS feed Influenza A(H1N1), other news via Twitter RSS help page REGIONAL INFORMATION ON INFLUENZA A(H1N1) WHO Region of the Americas WHO South-East Asia Region WHO European Region WHO Western Pacific Region

'We ARE spooked'

So many deaths, after apparently a very short time, worried the Mexican authorities.

"We were spooked," one government official admitted to me. "People seemed to be dying, and we didn't know why."

It takes several days for tests for swine flu infection to be verified

But when those first figures were released, the word "suspected" was crucial.

Mexico was not certain at that stage that 60 people had been killed by swine flu. And it still does not know. It takes several days for tests to be properly verified.

experts ARE dealing with so many unknowns at that stage.

What they did know was that the virus was potentially virulent and potentially deadly. Humans had no natural resistance to it.

"About 90% of the patients who have come to the hospital in the last few days have mild respiratory problems, from other causes."

The deluge of suspected cases has made it extremely difficult to tell who has swine flu, and who does not.

H1N1 has had consequences which few would have ever predicted. Something which possibly began in rural communities in Mexico has led to the quarantine of a luxury hotel in Hong Kong, and the slaughter of all the pigs in Egypt.

The Mexican health minister says it is still too early to say. He says that the threat of new viruses should not be under-estimated.

"You can't be too careful," he says.

READ MORE news From Mexicans and Europeans to America