Geneva - World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan raised the pandemic alert for swine flu by one level to phase 5 Wednesday night in Geneva.

The declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent. It is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region.

"Based on an assessment of all available information and following several expert consultations, I have decided to raise the influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to phase 5,," Chan announced at WHO headquarters.

Mexico City - Mexico City said Wednesday that it would compensate workers impacted by restrictions imposed to combat the outbreak of swine flu.

Those hospitalized would also be compensated, government officials said.

At least 159 people have died and 2,498 sickened in Mexico's flu outbreak - these include seven swine flu deaths and 49 confirmed infections from the new virus. Of these, 1,311 people remain in hospital, but most have not yet been identified as cases of swine flu.

Mexico City/Geneva - The number of confirmed swine flu infections in Mexico rose from 26 to 49, with seven deaths as a result of the new strain, according to laboratory results made public Wednesday by health authorities.

There have been 159 deaths and 2,498 infections in Mexico's flu outbreak. Of these, 1,311 people remain in hospital and most have not yet been identified as swine flu cases.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Margaret Chan raised the pandemic alert for swine flu by one level to phase 5 Wednesday night in Geneva.

Geneva  - World Health Organization Direc

Cairo - Egypt began slaughtering thousands of pigs on Wednesday in a precaution against swine flu, although no cases have yet been reported in the country.

"It has been decided to slaughter all pigs in the country immediately," Minister of Health Hatem al-Gabali said Wednesday afternoon.

On Tuesday, the Egyptian parliament voted to slaughter the country's entire pig livestock of around 250,000 animals in a precautionary measure.

New York - New York state officials Wednesday downplayed the fact that New York has the highest total of confirmed cases of swine flu among ten US states, saying the situation was inexplicable - even as health workers were investigating 75 more probable cases and some schools remained closed.

New York Governor David Paterson and his health commissioner, Richard Daines, who said the state currently has no vaccine designed for swine flu, said they did not consider the swine flu outbreak any more important than unseasonal flu in springtime.