Central America
With More Than 1,000 AH1N1 Cases
The AH1N1 influenza continues
spreading all over Central America, where
140,000 case have been reported, including
one dead patient, according to official
reports.
The most affected countries in the region
are Panama, with 330 infected people,
followed by Guatemala (208) and Costa Rica
(177).
A 53-year-old man, infected with the virus,
died in the latter country in early May,
suffering also from chronic respiratory
diseases and diabetes, which worsened his
situation.
Costa Rican Health Minister Maria Luisa
Avila announced that they would reinforce
the strategy of vigilance and protection,
starting on Saturday, especially on people
with more risk factors, including children
and those suffering from cancer and
pneumonia.
The Central American health ministers, who
met the current week in Nicaragua, agreed to
elaborate regulations for the joint buy of
medicines, to face up to the regional
challenges, due to the flu.
They were also in favor of creating a
regional file of people infected with the
A(H1N1) influenza, allowing to know the
clinical characteristics of the patients and
apply equal treatments.
Other regional countries affected by the flu
are El Salvador, with 160 patients,
Nicaragua (157) and Honduras (108).
Regional health authorities championed
increasing preventive measures, faced with
the possibility of a second outbreak of the
disease, with larger proportion than that of
the current epidemic.
According to he most recent assessment by
the World Health Organization, there have
been 180 deaths and 44,287 people infected
in around 80 countries. |
