New CDC estimate: Swine flu death count rises

ATLANTA - A new government estimate says swine flu has sickened about 55 million Americans and killed about 11,160.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the estimates on Friday, which cover roughly the first eight months of the pandemic from April through mid-December. The CDC last estimated that through mid-November, the pandemic had sickened 50 million Americans and killed 10,000.

Swine flu infections have been waning since late October, and no states were reporting widespread cases as of last week.