As of 31 January 2012 Mexican health officials have confirmed that at least 1,623 cases of influenza have so far been recorded in January, of which 1,456 cases were H1N1. At least 32 people have died from the flu, of which 29 have died from H1N1. According to health officials, the total number of flu cases reported this year is well within the normal range for Mexico, which can see between 5,000 to 11,000 incidents of all strains of the flu during the normal flu season. Both the CDC and the Pan-American Health Organization have also confirmed that the number of H1N1 cases recorded this year is also within the normal range.

Health officials expect that there will be an increase in the total number of flu cases during February and March, followed by a decrease in April, but have said that this is no cause for alarm. To reach epidemic status, more than 30 cases of H1N1 would have to be reported for every 1,000 people; so far, only eight H1N1 cases have been reported per 1,000 people. Health authorities have advised at-risk groups such as children under five, adults over 60, pregnant women and those with diabetes and HIV to get vaccinations, and have urged the general public to be more vigilant regarding their hygiene habits.

The Costa Rican Ministry of Health confirmed on 25 January 2012 that on 16 January a 52-year-old man died of the H1N1 virus (commonly referred to as swine flu) in the Max Peralta Hospital in Cartago. This was the second H1N1-related death in Costa Rica so far in 2012. A health official stated that the man who died on 16 January delayed in seeking medical help; his symptoms began on 20 December and he came to the hospital on 4 January. The first victim -- who died in early January in Aserri county of San Jose province -- also delayed in seeking medical help. There are currently eight other identified cases of H1N1 in Costa Rica.

Hong Kong government officials issued a public health warning on 7 February 2011 after two patients died from the A/H1N1 swine flu virus. Officials stated that 35 people are currently being treated for the swine flu virus in Hong Kong hospitals. Health workers have confirmed that four critical cases were discovered within the past two days, and the death toll from the outbreak is likely to rise. The latest outbreak has surprised many in the Hong Kong medical community. An outbreak of the A/H1N1 virus in late 2009 killed 80 people in Hong Kong, but health officials were able to successfully control and contain the spread of the virus. The current outbreak has reportedly coincided with a similar seasonal outbreak of the normal flu virus that hits Hong Kong each year. Although the World Health Organization declared that the A/H1N1 pandemic had “run its course,” cases of the disease continue to be confirmed in heavily populated areas of the Asia Pacific region.

On 26 January 2011 thousands of farm chickens were culled in Japan as the country works to contain an ongoing outbreak of the H5N1 avian bird flu virus. Birds in many prefectures have tested positive for the disease, which can cause illness in humans. The most significant outbreak is in Aichi prefecture where a cull of thousands of farm chickens has already devastated the poultry industry. The most recent cull was ordered for more than 8,000 birds in southern Kagoshima prefecture. Authorities have also banned all imports and exports of birds in Kagoshima, and a nationwide ban may be imposed in the coming weeks if the outbreak spreads further. The latest spread of the bird flu virus is the third such outbreak in the past 12 months in Japan. Though not as easily contracted or deadly as the more well known H1N1 swine flu virus, the H51N bird flu can cause similar symptoms in humans. Government officials in Japan have so far not issued any public warnings over recent bird flu cases reported in humans.

Figures released by the Health Protection Agency on 6 January 2011 indicate that 50 people across the United Kingdom have died as a result of the flu during the current flu season. Forty-five of the deaths were attributed to the H1N1 swine flu virus, while the remaining cases involved another flu strain. Most of the deaths occurred in young patients. The supply of seasonal flu vaccine is running low in some areas, prompting health officials to allow the use of vaccines left over from the 2009 flu season.