Health officials across the globe continue to report cases of new influenza A (H1N1) but the World Health Organisation says the pandemic may be peaking in some countries.

The Japanese government says that the number of deaths from new influenza A (H1N1) has hit 100. The latest fatality was a 74-year-old man from Kyoto. Health authorities say the man had an underlying illness.

The Chinese government says its A (H1N1) death toll has now risen to 200; the vast majority of fatalities, 194 of them, were reported in November. According to the health ministry, the cold weather is behind the rapid rise in the number of deaths.
 

Beijing plans to immunise almost 65 million people by the end of the year; almost 27 million people have been vaccinated so far. The health authorities have reported 92,904 cases of A (H1N1).  
 

Almost 10 million people across the European Union have now been vaccinated against pandemic influenza. On Thursday the Dutch authorities reported the first fatality due to infection by a mutant strain of the A (H1N1) virus. Health officials say the man, who died in the northern city of Groningen, is the third person in the country carrying a mutant strain resistant to Tamiflu, an anti-viral medication used to treat influenza.
 

A non-fatal case of mutant AH1N1 was reported by the Italian authorities on Monday. So far five people have died of mutated A (H1N1) in Europe.
 

Although the World Health Organisation says new influenza appears to have peaked in some countries, the WHO's top flu expert says a third wave of infections may be ahead. The global health organisation says more than 207 countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009. The global death toll now stands at 8,768.