WASHINGTON - THE United States on Sunday said it had confirmed 2,532 cases of swine flu, as officials warned more cases and fatalities would come.
2 deaths in Americas, flu now in 31 nations
SAN JOSE - THE death toll from the new flu is continuing to rise, with two new fatalities in the Americas bringing the total to 53, as the virus continues its global spread.
The United States and Costa Rica have both reported fresh fatalities, while Japan and Norway have joined the list of nations with confirmed cases.
With 278 new cases, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said 44 states of the nation's 50 states as well as the capital, Washington, have now been affected.
The number of confirmed A(H1N1) cases has spiked dramatically in recent days, with around 600 new cases reported on Friday and Saturday.
The country has now surpassed Mexico as the world's most affected nation, although the death toll in the United States counties to be significantly lower than that across its southern border.
Mexico has reported 48 deaths from the virus, while the United States' third death was reported on Saturday evening.
The third US fatality was confirmed in northwestern state of Washington. He was a man in his 30s with an underlying heart condition.
The two other victims on US soil were a Mexican child who had traveled to Texas for treatment and a woman who had chronic health problems.
While many of the cases in the United States have been mild, epidemiologists have warned the virus has yet to run its course.
'The ongoing outbreak of novel influenza A(H1N1) continues to expand in the United States,' the CDC said in a statement.
'More cases, more hospitalisations and more deaths from this outbreak will occur over the coming days and weeks.' The CDC said that it had developed a kit for testing whether individuals are carrying the disease, which is now being shipped across the country.
'This increase in testing capacity is likely to result in an increase in the number of reported confirmed cases in this country, which should provide a more accurate picture of the burden of disease,' the CDC said. -- AFP
