ATLANTA — The number of U.S. swine-flu cases has reached nearly 34,000, and deaths have risen 34 percent in the past week to 170, federal health officials reported Thursday.
About four out of five of the swine-flu deaths to date were adults 25 or older, although seven of the most recent deaths were children, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The numbers mark an increase from the 127 deaths and nearly 28,000 confirmed and suspected swine-flu cases reported last week.
CDC officials believe those cases — which sought treatment and underwent testing — are just the tip of the iceberg. They estimate more than 1 million Americans have been infected with the virus so far, though many probably had only a mild illness.
