US deaths linked to the swine flu virus have risen to 27, with most of the country now hit by the outbreak health officials said on Friday.
The Center for Disease Control reported it had seen at least 17 fatalities and a total of 13,271 cases spanning the length and breath of the country.
All fifty states as well as two territories have now reported cases of the A(H1N1) virus.
The Midwestern state of Wisconsin has been the worst-hit, with 2,217 infections. The state sits in the Great Lakes region on the Canadian border.
The United States has reported more cases than any other country, but has seen fewer fatalities than Mexico, where the virus was first spotted.
Across the world 21,940 cases have been reported in 69 countries, with 129 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
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AFP 051640 GMT 06 09
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