GENEVA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of A/H1N1 influenza continues to increase worldwide, reaching at least 9,596 by Dec. 6, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a latest update on Friday.

    Of all the deaths, some 6,131 occurred in the Americas, and at least 1,242 occurred in Europe. The other four WHO regions, South-East Asia, West Pacific, East Mediterranean and Africa reported 814, 848, 452 and 109 deaths respectively.

    The H1N1 flu virus was first identified in North America in April, and the WHO declared the new influenza as a pandemic in June. So far the virus has caused infections in more than 208 countries and overseas territories or communities.

    In the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere pandemic influenza activity has passed its peak in North America and in parts of western, northern, and eastern Europe, but activity continues to increase in parts of central and southeastern Europe, as well as in south and east Asia, according to the latest update.

    Influenza transmission remains active in much of western and central Asia and there is evidence of pandemic virus circulation in most regions of Africa, the WHO said.

U.S. A/H1N1 flu deaths "estimated at 10,000"

    BEIJING, December 11 (Xinhuanet) -- A top official has said that an estimated 10,000 people have so far died from the A/H1N1 virus, including some 1,100 children, in the United States in the seven months since its discovery.

    "By November 14th, many times more children and younger adults unfortunately have been hospitalized or killed by H1N1 influenza than happens in a usual flu season," Thomas Frieden, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told reporters. Full story

Pregnant women targeted in new H1N1 plan

    BEIJING, Dec. 10 -- China is preparing an inoculation plan for all pregnant women, who make up nearly 14 percent of the total number of reported deaths from the A/H1N1 flu on the mainland.

    Nearly 8 percent of pregnant women have severe cases of H1N1, according to the Ministry of Health Wednesday. Forty-six pregnant women have thus far died because of the flu. Full story

China's A/H1N1 flu death toll on faster rise

    BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland reported 125 deaths from the A/H1N1 influenza in the week from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6, nearly 65 percent of those reported in whole November, the Ministry of Health announced Wednesday.

    About 13.7 percent of all the 326 deaths reported so far were pregnant women, the ministry said, correcting an earlier figure of eight percent given by Zhong Nanshan, a medical expert in south China's Guangdong Province. Full story

Special Report:  World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu