Some 800 people died from the À/H1N1 virus in the first week of December, bringing the death toll to 9,596, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement on Friday.

The deadly virus has been registered in 208 countries. This week, the first swine flu deaths were registered in North Korea, Austria, Lithuania, Latvia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The virus remains active in Russia, but the overall viral spread may have recently peaked.

"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," the WHO said.

About 600 people have died in Russia from flu, including the H1N1 virus, since the start of the year, the Russian health minister, Tatyana Golikova, has said. About 11,633 swine flu cases have been so far registered in Russia.

MOSCOW, December 11 (RIA Novosti)