At least 134,503 people have been infected by swine flu across the globe, with 816 confirmed deaths, the World Health Organization reported Monday, according to dpa. An official said at least 160 countries were hit by the new virus, technically known as influenza A(H1N1), but the tally was not broken down into countries. The WHO had previously said it would not issue any further statistics on infections. Swine flu was "unstoppable," the organization has declared and deemed the virus a "pandemic," though its severity is thought to be mild. While most infected people make quick and complete recoveries, some cases have proven fatal. Regionally, the hardest hit area was the Americas, with 87,965 cases and 707 deaths. The WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific confirmed 21,577 infections of which 30 were fatal. In Europe, there were at least 16,556 instances of the virus in humans and 34 deaths. The Eastern Mediterranean area had one death and Africa has so far had none confirmed. The tally, posted to the UN health agency's website, contained a disclaimer: "Given that countries are no longer required to test and report individual cases, the number of cases reported actually understates the real number of cases." While many cases are thought to be so mild that they are not reported, the WHO has urged vigilance, saying the nature of a virus could change. Swine flu is susceptible to anti-virals. A vaccine is expected to be ready in the autumn.
