UPDATE 1-United States has 896 cases of new flu, CDC says

(For full coverage of the flu outbreak, click [nFLU])

* CDC says swine flu outbreak continues to spread

* No signs of it petering out

(Updates throughout with quotes, details)

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON, May 7 (Reuters) - Outbreaks of the new H1N1 swine flu continue to spread across the United States, with 896 confirmed cases and more to come, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Thursday.

U.S. officials have said they expect the swine influenza virus to spread to all 50 states and to cause many infections ranging from mild to severe.

Acting CDC Director Dr Richard Besser said the actual numbers matter less than the pattern of disease. "So far we are not seeing any signs of this petering out," Besser told reporters. "We are on the upswing."

And even though Mexican officials said they were over the worst, Besser said there was still significant transmission there, too.