WHO raises pandemic alert level; more swine flu cases feared

CNN.com Headline Says: "The World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert level Monday in response to the outbreak of swine flu that originated in Mexico, as the global count of confirmed cases increased and governments initiated various steps to try to stem the spread. The number of cases confirmed by health officials worldwide totaled 82, most of them in the United States and Mexico, according to the WHO. But hundreds more cases are under examination, and Mexico has said 149 deaths may have resulted. The WHO's decision to move its alert level from three to four on its six-level scale means the agency has determined the virus is capable of significant human-to-human transmission -- a major step toward a flu pandemic, said Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the agency's assistant director-general. But he added, "a pandemic is not considered inevitable."