The Associated Press: WHO says swine flu moving toward pandemic level 5

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization says the swine flu outbreak is moving closer to becoming 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.

He said the health body was monitoring the situation but was not yet ready to move the pandemic alert level up from its current level of 4, which means it is being passed among people.

Phase 6 is the highest in the scale and is for a full-scale pandemic.

Fukuda said there was no evidence the virus was slowing down.

Associated Press: WHO says H1N1 moving toward pandemic level 5