The new A(H1N1) influenza virus is spreading more slowly in Europe due to greater precautionary measures taken there than in the United States or Mexico, Nikki Shindo, a vaccine expert for the World Health Organization, said Tuesday according to dpa. Speaking to journalists in Geneva, Shindo said European countries were far more aggressive in using anti-influenza measures compared to the US or Mexico, resulting in fewer cases in European countries. She also downplayed worries that the virus could more quickly develop resistance to anti-viral remedies, saying that evidence from recent flu epidemics had shown that aggressive use of anti-influenza medications did not necessarily lead to faster viral resistance. Earlier Tuesday, the WHO stated that there were 5,251 cases of A(H1N1) influenza in 30 countries, with 61 deaths.
