According to reports, for the first time in over 40 years, the World Health Organization has declared the H1N1 virus a flu pandemic, the top phase on the WHO’s six-point scale. The WHO’s 193 member states will now boost health measures in preparation for a global spread of the virus, more commonly known as swine flu. The decision likely came after widespread swine flu transmission in Victoria, Australia, suggesting it’s entrenched in a region outside North America. So far, there have been 27,737 infections reported in 74 countries, and 141 deaths.