H1N1 virus is officially a pandemic in the Netherlands

Six people have died of the Mexican or swine flu in the Netherlands so far.

The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) announced Friday the flu has now become a pandemic following a survey of general practitioners in the Netherlands. General practitioners diagnosed the flu in 55 out of 100,000 people for two consecutive weeks, the survey said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a disease reaches pandemic status when it meets three conditions: emergence of a disease new to a population; agents infect humans, causing serious illness; and agents spread easily and sustainably among humans.

A 14-year-old girl died of the H1N1 flu this week, and a 40-year-old man died last week. According to the RIVM the girl had no underlying illness. Up to now all fatality cases had other health problems. In all six people in the Netherlands have died of the Mexcian or swine flu so far.