The death toll from the swine flu outbreak in India has exceeded 1,000 people, the Indian Health Ministry reported on Wednesday.

As of January 4, the number of A/H1N1 infections in India totaled 26,371, with almost a quarter of all cases registered in India's capital, the ministry said.

People aged 20-39 are most of all vulnerable to the virus, with the death toll in this age bracket doubling the country's average, the ministry said.

The World Health Organization reported late in December 2009 that the death toll from the swine flu outbreak had reached 11,516 worldwide

The number of infections continues to rise in some areas of central and eastern Europe, as well as in western, southern and central Asia, which were hit by the virus outbreak later than other parts of the world, the organization said.

WHO had earlier suspended publishing weekly reports on the spread of swine flu after some countries refused to report each infection.

NEW DELHI, January 6 (RIA Novosti)