Australia flu 'may tip pandemic' By Phil Mercer BBC News, Sydney A cruise ship scare helped spike swine flu infections in Australia The World Health Organization has said that a sharp increase in swine flu cases in Australia may push it to finally announce a flu pandemic. It would be the first such pandemic announced in four decades. More than 1,200 people have contracted the virus in Australia, a four-fold increase in a week. [No fatalities.] etc. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8092474.stm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8092474.stm</a>