H1N1 flu pandemic officially over, WHO says
Washington Post
By Rob Stein | August 10, 2010; 9:46 AM ET
The H1N1 pandemic has officially ended, the World Health Organization declared Tuesday.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan made the declaration based on the findings of the WHO’s Emergency Committee–a group of experts from around the world that has been advising the Geneva-based arm of the United Nations.
“The new H1N1 virus has largely run its course,” Chan said in a statement.
The declaration was based on reports of how much disease the virus was causing around the world, Chan said. While the virus is still circulating, the picture looks much more like a typical year of the flu. Localized outbreaks are occurring in some places, such as New Zealand. But out-of-season outbreaks are no longer being reported in either the northern or southern hemispheres.
