The World Health Organization has raised its tally of officially confirmed swine flu cases by 895 to 29,669 worldwide, according to AP. Canada has the biggest increase with 532 new cases. WHO says the virus has so far been reported in 74 countries and is now considered a pandemic. The agency says the outbreak is likely to continue spreading around the globe and will last one or two years. Most infections are producing mild illness, but there have been at least 145 deaths. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan is holding meetings with staff Friday to plan the global body's next steps to combat the outbreak. Chan will travel to U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday and then to Washington on Tuesday.
