Swine flu pandemic

Some recent vocabulary in the news.

The World Health Organisation has asked governments to prepare for a swine flu pandemic. The number of confirmed infections has risen above 100 on four continents, and there could now be evidence that patients are spreading the illness to others.

The WHO has warned that if the disease takes hold across the world, it could be a disaster for poorer countries which do not have the resources for dealing with a pandemic.

swine flu = the new type of influenza originating in Mexico. (Also called Mexican flu)
pandemic = an epidemic on a global scale
infections = instances where people are infected by a disease
spread an illness = give the illness to another person
take hold = become established
resources = financial or organisational systems

Other words and phrases associated with this story:
an outbreak = when an illness occurs: "There has been an outbreak of TB in the city."
a case = an instance of the disease: "There have been five new cases reported of TB."
virus = something that causes a disease: "A virus has been going around."
patient = a person who is in hospital: "The patient is showing signs of recovery."
symptoms = the signs that you have an illness: "Symptoms of swine flu are coughing, weakness…"

Photo credit: Sarihuella