Asia 
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What we can learn from past pandemics
History offers a dark warning to anyone ready to write off the 2009 H1N1 virus. In each of the four major pandemics since 1889, a spring wave of relatively mild illness was followed by a second wave of a much more virulent disease. (CNN.com)
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Will the flu pandemic be mild, or kill millions?
As the swine flu progresses, officials struggle to figure out what the world is facing. “There may be a possibility that the virus will die out and stop, and that would be the best for us. But it can turn the other way,” said Margaret Chan, the WHO’s director-general. (Analysis by Reuters)
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Companies plan for a swine flu pandemic
While it’s still unclear exactly how severe or deadly the swine flu will be or even how devastating it will be the global economy, U.S. and International health officials are taking the threat very seriously. And as a result, so are many companies. (news.CNET.com)
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WHO decides to not raise flu threat level
GENEVA - The World Health Organization said on Thursday there was no reason to raise a pandemic flu alert to the highest level. But WHO acting Assistant Director General Keiji Fukuda added a note of caution about the southern hemisphere, which is entering into the flu-prone winter season. (Agence France-Presse)
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No more ’swine’: Call it H1N1 Influenza A instead?
The World Health Organization says it will would stop using the term “swine flu” to avoid confusion over the danger posed by pigs. WHO spokesman Dick Thompson said, “We’re going to stick with the technical scientific name H1N1 influenza A.” (Associated Press)
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WHO reports 88 new worldwide swine flu cases
The World Heath Organization has confirmed 236 cases of swine flu infection worldwide, the agency said Thursday, a jump from 148 cases reported the previous day. The largest increase was from Mexico, which has 97 confirmed cases of the virus, compared with 26 cases Wednesday. (CNN.com)
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Scientists see this flu strain as relatively mild
Genetic data indicate the swine flu outbreak won’t be as deadly as that of the 1918 Spanish flu, or even the average winter. (Los Angeles Times)
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A country-by-country list of confirmed swine flu cases
Here are details of the latest number of cases country by
country. (Reuters) -
Asia-Pacific countries work to control the flu
Health officials in Asia-Pacific countries say they’re stepping up efforts to confirm the number of cases of swine flu in the region. Officials in New Zealand say they have confirmed three more cases of swine flu to add to the 11 cases previously identified, Voice of America reported Wednesday. (UPI)
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WHO chief: Swine flu close to being a pandemic
WHO flu chief Dr. Keiji Fukuda told reporters on Wednesday that developments in the disease are moving the agency closer to raising its pandemic alert to phase 5, indicating widespread human-to-human transmission. (Associated Press)
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Swine flu and travel: What should you do?
Are you rethinking your travel plans in light of swine flu? Here are travel recommendations to keep in mind. (WebMD)
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China reportedly has avoided swine flu so far
The world’s most populous country has avoided any cases of swine flu so far, the World Health Organization says. ”But we cannot give any guarantees that China will not be affected,” Dr. Hans Troedsson, the WHO’s chief representative in China warned. (Toronto Star)
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Experts fear potential effect of swine flu on economy
With the global economy already shrinking, this is a bad time for a flu pandemic. The good news: if the flu doesn’t get much worse than it is now, experts say the effect would be negligible. (marketwatch.com)
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Several more countries confirm cases
New cases of the deadly swine flu virus have been confirmed as far afield as New Zealand and Israel, as the UN warns it cannot be contained. The US, Canada, Spain and Britain confirmed cases earlier but no deaths have been reported outside Mexico, where the virus was first reported. (BBC News)
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Track swine flu cases worldwide
The New York Times tracks the flu’s spread through an interactive map and timeline.
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Travel restrictions won’t stop flu from spreading
Cases of swine flu were confirmed early today in Israel and New Zealand, the first definitive proof that the dangerous new virus has spread to the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions, but international health officials said there was little point in imposing border or travel restrictions or otherwise trying to contain the virus. (Washington Post)