HOUSTON, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Four states on Wednesday reported five deaths related to the A/H1N1 flu virus, bringing the number of total deaths related to the virus to 26 in the United States, according to local health officials.

    Michigan and Connecticut are the latest two states which reported their first deaths on Wednesday.

    The Michigan Department of Community Health has confirmed that the state's first death of A/H1N1 flu involved a 53-year-old woman, who died on Tuesday in a hospital in Macomb County after being sick for more than two weeks.

    "This is sad and unfortunate. But, at the same time, we do expect a number of deaths (nationally) following the infection from this virus," James McCurtis, a spokesman for the department, said on Wednesday.

    As of Wednesday, Michigan reported 298 confirmed cases of A/H1N1 flu statewide, comparing to 287 cases released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on its website.

    Meanwhile, the Connecticut Department of Public Health on Wednesday announced that a resident aged over 50 has become the first person in the state to die from the A/H1N1 flu.

    Confirmed cases of the A/H1N1 flu in the state has jumped to 397, almost double the figure of 197 released by the CDC on its website, the department said.

    Officials said the actual number might be much higher because many people with mild symptoms do not go to a doctor or hospital.

    New York and Illinois are the two states which reported on Wednesday more deaths from the A/H1N1 flu virus. The New York health department said that two more New Yorkers have been killed by the virus, bringing the state's death toll to seven.

    In Chicago, Illinois Department of Public Health spokeswoman Melaney Arnold declared that a 22-year-old Chicago woman has died from complications of the A/H1N1 flu one day after she gave birth, bringing the number of Illinois deaths related to the virus to four.

    The state health department has reported 1,268 confirmed cases of the A/H1N1 flu statewide, comparing to 1,151 cases released by the CDC on its website on Wednesday.

    Nationwide, the CDC has reported 17 deaths from the A/H1N1 virus in seven states, not including four deaths reported by local health officials on Tuesday -- the first two deaths in California, the first death in Virginia and the fifth death in New York.

    On Wednesday, the CDC also reported 11,054 confirmed cases of the A/H1N1 flu in all 51 states.

    The agency anticipates more cases, hospitalizations and deaths associated with this new virus in the coming days and weeks.

Special Report:  World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu