The UN’s World Health Organization has raised the alert over the spread of swine flu to level five, which is just one short of a full pandemic.

A phase five alert means that human-to-human transmission has ocurred in at least two countries.

Announcing the increase in the alert level, the WHO Director General, Margaret Chan, urged all countries to activate their pandemic plans, including heightened surveillance and infection control measures.

The Director General added that such action should be undertaken with “increased urgency.”

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