Two United States citizens were found to be carrying the H1N1 virus — otherwise known as bird flu – by health authorities in the north of Colombia, national radio station Caracol Radio reported on Friday.
An H1N1 test carried out on a child and his mother in Santa Marta, the capital of the coastal state of Magdalena, produced positive results, according to Caracol’s sources. Despite this, the clinic reportedly broke protocol and did not alert any authorities as to the case.
District and departmental health authorities have expressed their worries that the virus will spread.
Magdalena Secretary of Health Sandra Castañeda Lopez said that the resulting investigations aim to determine the place of origin of the affected individuals, as well as their point of entry
The family left the city following the exams, with authorities aiming to gather the necessary information to give the public a prompt update on the situation.
Sources
- Madre e hijo norteamericanos son atendidos por H1N1 en Santa Marta (Caracol Radio)
- Registran nuevo caso de virus H1N1 en Santa Marta (El Espectador)
