'More than 800 died of swine flu worldwide'

A total of 816 people died of swine flu worldwide, with most of the deaths occurring in South America, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

A total of 816 people died of swine flu worldwide, with most of the deaths occurring in South America, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday.

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So far, 707 people have died in the Americas, 44 in South-East Asia, 34 in Europe, 30 in the Western Pacific region and one in the Eastern Mediterranean region, the UN agency said.

In addition, more than 20 countries such as Afghanistan, Belize, Bhutan, Botswana, Haiti, Namibia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Solomon Islands, among others, have confirmed swine flu cases since July 6.

A total of 134,503 people worldwide have been affected by the influenza A(H1N1) virus, also called swine flu, so far. The actual figure may be much higher, as countries are no longer required to report swine flu cases, WHO said.