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It is still too soon to say that the swine flu pandemic has peaked, the World Health Organization has warned.

Following a meeting of its emergency committee the WHO declined to change its current pandemic level, leaving it at phase six – widespread human infection. More data is needed before concluding that all parts of the world have passed peak transmission of H1N1, says the committee.

Although there is “mixed evidence” of declining or low activity in a number of countries there is evidence of new community transmission in West Africa, according to a statement from Margaret Chan, the WHO director general.

In its latest update – from 19 February – the WHO noted confirmed cases of H1N1 in over 212 countries, territories and communities.

However, the WHO did make one small step downwards in its Swine Flu Defcon Level. It has changed its recommendation to “intensify surveillance of unusual flu-like illness” to “maintain surveillance of unusual flu-like illness”.

More H1N1 news

“This pandemic appears to be on the less severe side of the spectrum of pandemics that we have seen in the 20th century.”

Keiji Fukuda of the WHO speaks to reporters (Reuters).

“The H1N1 flu pandemic has peaked in most parts of the country, top Chinese epidemiologists said yesterday, even as the World Health Organization (WHO) said the worst was not over internationally.”

China Daily says the pandemic is pretty much over in China.