The establishment of the Committee, which is composed of international experts in a variety of disciplines, is in compliance with the International Health Regulations (2005).
The first meeting of the Emergency Committee was held on Saturday 25 April 2009.
After reviewing available data on the current situation, Committee members identified a number of gaps in knowledge about the clinical features, epidemiology, and virology of reported cases and the appropriate responses.
The Committee advised that answers to several specific questions were needed to facilitate its work.
The Committee nevertheless agreed that the current situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
Based on this advice, the Director-General has determined that the current events constitute a public health emergency of international concern, under the Regulations.
Concerning public health measures, in line with the Regulations the Director-General is recommending, on the advice of the Committee, that all countries intensify surveillance for unusual outbreaks of influenza-like illness and severe pneumonia.
The Committee further agreed that more information is needed before a decision could be made concerning the appropriateness of the current phase 3.
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With suspected cases also arising in Israel and France, many countries are already taking precautionary steps by screening passengers from affected areas and quarantining anyone suspected to have the virus until the cause of the fever is determined.
Symptoms of the flu-like illness include a fever of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius), body aches, coughing, a sore throat, respiratory congestion and, in some cases, vomiting and diarrhea.
Though the virus is usually contracted through direct contact with pigs, experts at the UN's animal health service say all the indications suggest that the virus is being spread through human-to-human transmission.
There is currently no vaccine available which specifically protects against swine flu and how much protection current human flu vaccines might offer remains unclear - it could be months before a vaccine is developed to protect against the new virus.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says there is concern that some people could die in the United States as the virus spread - stockpiles of the anti-flu drugs Relenza and Tamiflu are expected to be released to deal with the outbreak and local authorities have been told to plan for possible school closures to reduce the possibility of transmission.
The CDC is preparing a "yellow card" for travelers explaining the flu symptoms and what precautions to take and health officials are stressing frequent hand washing as the first line of defence against the virus.