SANTIAGO, Chile, June 3 (UPI) -- The first fatality from the H1N1 flu virus in South America was a Chilean man, health officials in that country said Wednesday.
The World Health Organization said Chile is the fifth country to report a fatality from the virus formerly called swine flu, El Mercurio newspaper reported Wednesday.
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WHO reportedly is contemplating raising its warning level to Phase 6, the highest level on WHO's alert system, which would mean the disease has become a global pandemic.
Nearly 19,000 cases of the H1N1 flu have been reported in 64 countries, resulting in 117 deaths worldwide, world health officials said.
