ATLANTA (AP) -- Federal officials said Wednesday that flu activity has reached widespread levels in all but five U.S. states.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the flu has reached widespread status -- the CDC's highest outbreak level -- in 10 states since last week: Alabama, Alaska, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Health departments in the District of Columbia and New York City also reported widespread flu activity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The agency said influenza-like illnesses are increasing overall, but are decreasing in some areas, including Texas and Colorado, two states that were hit particularly hard by the flu early this season.

CDC officials have characterized this season's outbreak as a likely epidemic, and are particularly concerned that the outbreak has killed at least 42 children.

Of the five states where the flu is not widespread, Hawaii has seen only localized outbreaks, while regional outbreaks have been reported in Florida, Louisiana, New Hampshire and Oklahoma.

The other 35 states on the widespread list are Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.