EU warns against swine flu panic | More flu updates

The EU’s health chief has urged people not to panic over swine flu, as European ministers rejected a proposal to seek an EU-wide Mexico travel ban. “We have to exercise vigilance, we should not panic, we have to be prepared,” Androulla Vassiliou said.

The ministers were considering a French plan for an EU-wide travel advisory.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised its pandemic alert to five, the second-highest level, but says it has no immediate plans for another rise.

“We do not have any evidence to suggest that we should move to phase six today, or any such move is imminent right now,” said WHO Assistant Director General Keiji Fukuda.

But he added that the situation was still evolving rapidly.

In Mexico, the centre of the outbreak, the number of confirmed cases rose to 97 – up from 26 on Wednesday. Dr Fukuda said this was due to many laboratory results coming in.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon urged people to stay at home over the next five days.

There are many cases elsewhere – including the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Israel, and New Zealand.

BBC health correspondent Matt McGrath says many experts remain hopeful that even if this happens, the effects of the H1N1 virus will be mild.

None of the dozens of cases of swine flu reported on the continent so far has been severe.

The only deaths from the virus have been recorded in Mexico and the US.

In the latest developments:

* The Netherlands confirms its first case of swine flu, in a three-year-old boy recently returned from Mexico. Cases have also been confirmed in Switzerland, Costa Rica and Peru
* The number of confirmed cases in the US rose to 109 in 11 states
* Japan reported its first suspected case of swine flu
* China’s health minister says that the country’s scientists have developed a “sensitive and fast” test for spotting swine flu in conjunction with US scientists and the WHO. The country has recorded no incidence of the flu yet.

EU health ministers met in Luxembourg to discuss a French proposal for a continent-wide travel advisory for Mexico.

The ministers rejected the plan, opting instead to allow each nation to decide its own policy.

Several countries have restricted travel to Mexico and many tour operators have cancelled holidays.

Other member states are resisting calls to implement travel bans or close borders on the grounds – backed by the WHO – that there is little evidence that they work.

The EU ministers were also trying to agree on how to refer to the virus.

The European Commission has been calling it “novel flu”, replacing the word “swine” to avoid prompting a fall in demand for pork and bacon.

It was not clear whether a decision had been taken on the name.

On Wednesday, Egypt began a mass slaughter of its pigs – even though the WHO says the virus was now being transmitted from human to human.

The WHO says it will now call the virus influenza A (H1N1).

Ghana has become the latest country to ban pork imports as a precaution against swine flu.

Source: BBC NEWS