On Thursday June 11th 2009, the World Health Organization informed member nations that it is declaring an influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, as infections rose in the US, Europe, Australia, South America and other regions. The UN health agency made the decision to raise the pandemic alert level from Phase 5 to 6, its highest level, after holding an emergency meeting with its experts to discuss the spread of the virus. The declaration will require all countries, including those that have not yet reported any cases, to launch pandemic-prevention plans. The last influenza pandemic was declared in 1968 due to an outbreak of Hong Kong influenza. The move to the highest alert level means sustained person-to-person spread of the virus has been confirmed outside of North America. WHO spokesman Peter Cordingley said "Australia catches our eye particularly, not because of the number of cases, but because of strong evidence of community transmission." He indicated that the WHO is also studying similar evidence in the UK, Spain, Japan and Chile. Cordingley also noted that the effects of the virus have so far been moderate, "but it's still going to infect an awful lot of people."
According to the latest WHO statistics, on that date, there were 27737 confirmed cases of infection in 74 countries, with 141 reported deaths. While the confirmed cases are predominantly in North America, sharp increases have been recorded in Europe and Australia in recent days. Faced with the danger of an increasing number of cases of the H1N1 virus in Lebanon, BPI is ready to help combat this pandemic with the availability of its FLUMIVIR® in the health care sector.
Taken as a treatment, FLUMIVIR® works by helping to stop the flu virus from spreading inside the body. As prevention, when you have been exposed to someone with the flu, taking FLUMIVIR® can help keep the virus from making you sick. The H1N1 virus seems to spread in the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread; mainly through the cough and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus.
It is uncertain at this time how severe this H1N1 outbreak will be in terms of illness and death worldwide compared with other influenza viruses, but because this is a new virus most people will not have immunity to it and illness maybe more severe and widespread as a result. In addition, BPI is working on the development of a novel vaccine for the H1N1 virus. BPI would like to reassure the Lebanese people and the Ministry of Health that it is prepared to combat future outbreaks of the H1N1 virus with its FLUMIVIR®. | 
