H1N1 deaths hit 100 in Japan

The number of deaths from the H1N1 swine flu virus has hit 100 in Japan, Kyodo news agency reported on Sunday, as the pandemic continues to spread around the world.                                           

The latest fatality in Japan was reported in the western city of Kyoto where a 74-year-old man had died after infection, the news agency quoted the local city office as saying. The man had an underlying illness, it said.                                           

The flu strain has caused at least 7,826 deaths worldwide as of November 27. Flu transmission is active in East Asia and it remains "stably elevated in Japan," but may be decreasing slightly in cities there, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).                                            

H1N1, which emerged in March, causes moderate symptoms in most patients but poses greater risks to pregnant woman, young people and patients with underlying health problems, the WHO said.                                           

Many countries are working to vaccinate their populations but vaccine production is slow.