The A/H1N1 flu death toll in the most populous U.S. State of California has reached 55, while confirmed and probable cases rose to 3,168, according to the latest statistics released by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) late Thursday.

The department said that 24 more deaths have been reported in the past week, a 77-percent jump from the previous record of 31, and 707 new cases have emerged, representing a 29-percent increase from the previous total of 2,461 released a week ago by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Since the outbreak of the A/H1N1 flu, California has been among the top states leading the nation with most deaths and confirmed cases of the new flu virus. The latest CDPH report shows that San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles and Long Beach counties have been the four hardest-hit, with San Diego and Orange each has 8 deaths, while Los Angeles and Long Beach each has 7 victims of the new A/H1N1 virus.

However, the department said the reported number of cases of A/H1N1 flu in California do not reflect how many actual cases there may be in the state because individuals in outpatient settings are no longer being tested for the presence of the virus and many cases go undetected due to the mild nature of the disease among most people.

Laboratory testing is limited to individuals with serious A/H1N1 illness, including hospitalized patients, and those at high risk for complications, the department explained.

Dr. Anne Schuchat, a leading CDC expert, said two weeks ago that she and other CDC experts believe there might be more than 1 million Americans who have been infected with the A/H1N1 virus, though many probably had only a mild illness.

Both state and federal health officials urge people to be prepared for the global pandemic declared by World Health Organization last month.

(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2009)