The World Health Organization told its member nations it was declaring a swine flu pandemic Thursday — the first global flu epidemic in 41 years — as infections climbed in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere.

In a statement sent to member countries, WHO said it decided to raise the pandemic warning level from phase 5 to 6 — its highest alert — after holding an emergency meeting on swine flu with its experts.
The long-awaited pandemic decision is scientific confirmation that a new flu virus has emerged and is quickly circling the globe. It will trigger drugmakers to speed up production of a swine flu vaccine and prompt governments to devote more money toward efforts to contain the virus, the Associated Press reports.

There have been 1,241 confirmed cases of the flu in New York, with 46 in Westchester, 8 in Rockland and 2 in Putnam, according to the state Department of Health.

The total number of people with the illness, which is generally mild, is probably much higher, health officials said. Most people who are sick with the flu are not specifically tested for swine flu.