Washington, December 03: H1N1 swine flu has not peaked yet but seems to be waning in Canada and the United States, signalling that the end of the pandemic may be on the horizon, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.
A third wave of infections may still be ahead, Keiji Fukuda, the WHO’s top flu expert, said. But he added there was no sign of widespread resistance to Tamiflu, the main drug used to treat the H1N1 flu strain.
“I think it’s fair to say that we still haven’t fully gotten through the pandemic and that it is possible that there could be unexpected events which occur,” Mr Fukuda told a news conference.
“It is quite possible to have a pandemic on the milder side. And if we are experiencing that and the number of serious cases is kept down, then it is something again for which we should all be thankful,” he said.
H1N1, which emerged in March, causes moderate symptoms in most patients but poses greater risks to pregnant woman, young people and patients with underlying health problems, according to the WHO.
The United Nations agency declared a full-blown pandemic – at six on its six-point scale – under way on June 11. The flu strain has caused at least 7826 deaths worldwide as of November 27.
—Agencies