HOUSTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday reported 619 more deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) in the past week, bringing the total deaths to 3,446 since Aug. 30.

    Both figures show remarkable increases when compared to 507 P&I deaths in the previous week and 2,827 between Aug. 30 and Oct. 17.

    On its website, the CDC said on Friday that from Aug. 30 to Oct.24, there had been 12,466 laboratory-confirmed influenza associated hospitalizations, 530 laboratory-confirmed influenza associated deaths, 25,985 pneumonia and influenza syndrome -- the P&I related hospitalizations, and 2,916 pneumonia and influenza syndrome-based deaths across the country.

    These statistics mean the total number of the P&I related deaths has reached 3,446 while the total P&I linked hospitalizations rose to 38,451 during the roughly three-month period.

    The latest death numbers, both for last week and past three months, are the highest since Aug. 30 when the CDC developed new case definitions for influenza-associated hospitalizations and deaths to be applied for the 2009-2010 influenza season.