VOA慢速英语 世卫组织接近宣布甲型流感大规模流行

　　WHO Close to Declaring Flu Pandemic

　　世卫组织接近宣布甲型流感大规模流行

　　This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

　　As of Tuesday, seventy-three countries had reported more than twenty-six thousand cases of the new H1N1 flu virus. A World Health Organization official, Keiji Fukuda, said these confirmed cases included two hundred forty-nine deaths.

　　Doctor Fukuda, the agency's top flu expert, says the virus continues to spread in North America. And there are increasing reports from South America as well as from other southern countries.

　　Australia has had more than one thousand cases, the largest number outside North America. The state of Victoria has been most affected.

　　But the United States has had by far the most confirmed cases. More than thirteen thousand were reported as of Monday, including twenty-seven deaths.

　　The H1N1 outbreak began in Mexico in March. Mexico has reported more than one hundred deaths. An unusual number of flu cases have been found in young people who were otherwise healthy.

　　The W.H.O. has an influenza warning system in which phase six means that a pandemic is taking place. In recent days the United Nations agency has moved closer and closer to such a declaration.