WHO 'to declare swine flu pandemic'
Speculation has grown that world health bosses could declare the swine flu outbreak the first global flu pandemic for more than 40 years.
With the number of UK cases jumping to 750, officials at the World Health Organisation (WHO) are due to meet shortly to discuss the worldwide spread of the disease.
It follows consultations on Wednesday between WHO director-general Margaret Chan and health chiefs around the world about the outbreak's status.
She said on Tuesday she believed the disease may have reached pandemic level, adding: "Once I get indisputable evidence, I will make the announcement."
The last global pandemic was declared in 1968 over an outbreak of Hong Kong flu which killed about one million people.
WHO said the H1N1 swine flu virus has infected 27,737 people in 74 countries and caused 141 deaths. Most of the cases have been in North America, but Europe and Australia have seen a sharp increase in recent days.
WHO's meeting is expected to take place in Geneva, Switzerland.
The organisation currently classes the swine flu outbreak as a level five on the pandemic scale, one short of a full pandemic rating of level six.
The upgrade could prompt countries to take extra measures against the disease, such as imposing travel bans and producing more vaccines.
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