Swine Flu has ‘pandemic potential’

The swine flu outbreak in Mexico could become a pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said this morning.

“It has pandemic potential,” said Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization, according to the Washington Post. “It is infecting people.”

“The situation is evolving quickly,” Chan added. “We do not yet have a complete picture of the epidemiology or the risk, including possible spread beyond the currently affected areas. Nonetheless, in the assessment of WHO this is serious situation that must be watched very carefully.”

Chan is calling an emergency advisory meeting of experts to develop a plan to deal with the outbreak.

At least 62 deaths and 800 cases have been reported in Mexico so far. A handful of cases have been deteceted in the southwest United States as well.