US reports one flu death, WHO mulls alert level

BERLIN: Germany and Austria confirmed cases of swine flu yesterday, becoming the third and fourth European countries hit by the disease. As the United States reported the first swine flu death outside of Mexico, the World Health Organization (WHO) called an emergency meeting to consider its pandemic alert level.

Germany confirmed three swine flu cases and Austria one, while the number of confirmed cases rose to four in Spain and five in Britain.

Swine flu is suspected of killing more than 150 people in Mexico and sickening over 2,400 there. WHO has confirmed at least 105 cases in seven countries. Over half of those - 66 - are in the United States and US health officials reported yesterday that 23-month-old child in Texas has died from the disease.