Mexico, Washington: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its tally of confirmed human cases of swine flu to 615 from 365 and said it expected its alert level to reach phase six, the maximum. There have been 17 confirmed deaths.
WHO Director of Global Alert and Response Dr Michael Ryan said on Saturday that Mexico has reported 241 new laboratory confirmed cases and seven new deaths since 2330 GMT on May 1.
However, Ryan told reporters, "The increased figures from Mexico reflect primarily ongoing testing of previously collected samples, and not a surge in people calling sick."
The World Health Organisation's alert level remains at phase five of six, meaning a global outbreak is imminent.
"At this point we have to expect that phase six will be reached, we have to hope that it is not," said Ryan.
Ryan added that WHO has sent 2.4 million treatments of anti-flu drug Tamiflu to 72 developing countries, taking the drugs from a stockpile donated by
Roche Holding AG.
The global body says 15 countries have now reported laboratory-confirmed cases.
Mexico has reported 397 cases and 16 deaths. The United States has 141 cases and one death. Canada has 34 cases, while Spain and Britain have 13 each.
New Zealand and Germany have four confirmed cases each, Israel has two, and Austria, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, South Korea and Switzerland each have a case, according to the latest WHO figures Saturday. Italy also reported its first confirmed case of swine flu on Saturday.