A MEMBER of the World Health Organisation has dismissed claims that more than 150 people have died from swine flu, saying it has officially recorded only seven deaths around the world.

Reports have put the likely death toll from the virus at 152, with Mexican officials confirming 20 deaths.

The number of cases under observation in Mexico alone has reportedly reached 1614.

But Vivienne Allan, from WHO's patient safety program, said the body had confirmed that worldwide there had been just seven deaths - all in Mexico - and 79 confirmed cases of the disease.

"Unfortunately that (150-plus deaths) is incorrect information and it does happen, but that's not information that's come from the World Health Organisation,'' Ms Allan said.

"That figure is not a figure that's come from the World Health Organisation and, I repeat, the death toll is seven and they are all from Mexico.''

Ms Allan said WHO had confirmed 40 cases of swine flu in the Americas, 26 in Mexico, six in Canada, two in Spain, two in the UK and three in New Zealand.

There is a sense of chaos in the other hospitals and we do not know what to do. Staff are starting to leave and many are opting to retire or apply for holidays. The truth is that mortality is even higher than what is being reported by the authorities, at least in the hospital where I work it. It is killing three to four patients daily, and it has been going on for more than three weeks. It is a shame and there is great fear here. Increasingly younger patients aged 20 to 30 years are dying before our helpless eyes and there is great sadness among health professionals here.
Antonio Chavez, Mexico City

(NaturalNews) A case of swine flu was diagnosed today in at Florida Hospital and disclosed in an email authored by its chief medical officer, but the infection was immediately denied by Florida Hospital and Orange County health officials, who claimed in a press conference, "There have been no confirmed cases of swine flu by the CDC in Central Florida."

Technically, that may be true. The CDC takes time to independently confirm swine flu infections in its own labs, as it does not recognize anyone else's lab results. During this time, even though doctors treating the patient may have independently confirmed a swine flu infection on their own, hospitals and health authorities can deny the existence of any "confirmed" cases of swine flu.