5700+ Swine flu deaths WHO latest

In the latest World Health Organisation report (Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 72) on the state of the global swine flu pandemic the WHO notes that "as of 25 October 2009, worldwide there have been more than 440,000 laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009 and over 5700 deaths reported to WHO."

The WHO assessment is that these figures for the numbers of Swine flu cases and deaths are probably an underestimate as many countries have stopped counting individual cases, particularly of milder illness.

The WHO report states that, "the case count is likely to be significantly lower than the actual number of cases that have occurred."

According to the WHO Swine Flu report "in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere influenza transmission continues to intensify marking an unusually early start to winter influenza season in some countries."

In the US, and parts of Western Canada there are "high rates of influenza-like-illness (ILI) and numbers of pandemic H1N1 2009 virus detections" and worryingly in Mexico "more confirmed cases since September than during the springtime epidemic."

In Western Europe, Iceland, Ireland, the UK (N. Ireland), Belgium, and the Netherlands are noted as having particluarly high rates of infection with other countries "showing evidence of early influenza transmission".

In Japan a sharp increase is noted which is "approximately 10 weeks ahead the usual start of the winter influenza season."

In a region by region break down of the cumulative cases and deaths duringthe Swine Flu pandemic the WHO reports the following picture;

Region	Cumulative total
	as of 25 October 2009
	Cases*	Deaths
WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO)	13536	75
WHO Regional Office for the Americas (AMRO)	174565	4175
WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO)	17150	111
WHO Regional Office for Europe (EURO)	Over  64000	At least  281
WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO)	42901	605
WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO)	129509	465
Total	Over 441661	At least 5712