The World Health Organisation said Friday that 18,156 people had died from swine flu, a year after the influenza was declared a pandemic.
The virus is now "globally less active," Gregory Haertl, a spokesman of the UN health agency told AFP, but he warned that children and pregnant women in particular should remain vigilant.
Swine Flu
Swine flu, a type of influenza caused by a new strain of the H1N1 Type A influenza virus has originated from the pigs. Winter always brings along the chills and the flu, make sure you''re safe this season.
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Haertl also said that the figures on swine flu are "without doubt underestimated. It will be probably several times more than that."
"It is difficult to say what is the exact number, we'll have it within two years" after the disappearance of the virus, he added.
The WHO has been defending its handling of the pandemic in recent weeks, with a top medical journal becoming the latest to challenge it earlier this month.
![Swine Flu Risk Calculator]( "Swine Flu Risk Calculator")
Find out the risks for contracting swine flu and take the necessary precautionary steps. Swine flu caused a pandemic in 2009 with several deaths reported worldwide.
The British Medical Journal found that WHO guidelines on the use of antiviral drugs were prepared by experts who had received consulting fees from the top two manufacturers of these drugs, Roche and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).
But the head of the WHO defended the agency, rejecting claims that its handling of the pandemic was marred by commercial interests.
"At no time, not for one second, did commercial interests enter my decision-making," said Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, in a letter sent to the British Medical Journal, following the publication's article.
Source: AFP
The WHO has been defending its handling of the pandemic in recent weeks, with a top medical journal becoming the latest to challenge it earlier this month.
Swine Flu Risk Calculator
Find out the risks for contracting swine flu and take the necessary precautionary steps. Swine flu caused a pandemic in 2009 with several deaths reported worldwide.
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The British Medical Journal found that WHO guidelines on the use of antiviral drugs were prepared by experts who had received consulting fees from the top two manufacturers of these drugs, Roche and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).
But the head of the WHO defended the agency, rejecting claims that its handling of the pandemic was marred by commercial interests.
"At no time, not for one second, did commercial interests enter my decision-making," said Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, in a letter sent to the British Medical Journal, following the publication's article.
Source: AFP
Swine Flu Or Pig Flu Facts
Is the world in the grip of its first influenza pandemic in forty years? It definitely seems so! The current swine flu or pig flu disaster traces its origin to the badly- hit State of Mexico.
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 Quiz on FluInfluenza (or rather, the flu) is a cold weather infectious condition that affects the young and old alike. Though most reported cases are mild, the flu can sometimes cause severe and life-threatening complications in both children and adults, thanks to wrong medications and improper vaccinations. Learn more about the disease from our Flu Quiz and guard yourself and your family from a poss | Advertisement
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