Colombia confirmed on Tuesday that a 24-year-old woman who infected A/H1N1 influenza virus died last weekend at a hospital south of the capital city, the first death from the flu in the country.
Minister of Social Protection Diego Palacio said the woman died of severe pneumonia derived from the A/H1N1 influenza virus, which was also the third dead case in South America.
Secretary of Health in Bogota Hector Zambrano said the woman had been admitted to the hospital of Meissen with fever symptom and signs of chronic pneumonia. Her husband and son were also confirmed being infected A/H1N1 influenza virus.
"Her family members are in high risk and all of them are monitored at present. We are also looking for people who made contact with the woman," said Zambrano.
Palacio said "The woman didn't contact with people back from foreign countries, which means the virus has presented in Colombia and the A/H1N1 influenza began circulating indigenously in this nation."
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases of the A/H1N1 influenza virus in Colombia rose to 35 on Tuesday, Palacio said, adding that 34 of whom are recovering satisfyingly without complication of the disease.
Most of the A/H1N1 flu patients in Colombia had traveled to foreign countries, especially to Mexico, the United States, Panama and Honduras. They came back with symptoms of influenza, said Palacio.
Colombia is the first South American country that reporting A/H1N1 flu case on May 3 in the city of Zipaquira.
(Xinhua News Agency June 10, 2009)
