Latest global swine flu figures

Swine flu has now spread across the world, with over 330 confirmed cases across 12 countries.

Latest figures suggest there have been 15 deaths of the virus in Mexico, where it originated, with one other death in the United States.

Officials in Mexico this afternoon claim there could be over 340 confirmed cases of swine flu in the country and the president has ordered a national shutdown.

In the US, a 23-month-old Mexican boy died in Texas from the virus and there are over 100 other confirmed cases.

In Europe, there have been eight confirmed cases in the UK, ten in Spain, three in Germany and one each in the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark and Switzerland.

Health officials in Germany and Spain have also confirmed cases of human to human transmission of swine flu.

Elsewhere there have been three confirmed cases in New Zealand, 19 in Canada and two each in Israel and Costa Rica.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged governments around the world to prepare for an imminent pandemic, raising its alert system to level five yesterday – one phase away from a full-scale global pandemic.

As well as the confirmed cases, there are further suspected cases of swine flu in South Africa, South Korea and Australia.