Colombian president Álvaro Uribe has swine flu

[HonestRN]

Diagnosis prompts fears for health of Latin American leaders who met Uribe at regional summit last week

President Álvaro Uribe of Colombia has been diagnosed with swine flu, prompting urgent checks into the health of other South American leaders he met at a summit last week.

The Colombian leader has been kept partly secluded in an office at the presidential palace in Bogotá, and has continued working by telephone and internet.

Officials said Uribe was expected to make a full recovery. "This isn't something that has us scared," Diego Palacio, the social protection minister, told a news conference yesterday.

The 57-year-old conservative leader showed symptoms soon after addressing a summit at the Argentine ski resort of Bariloche on Friday. The presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela all attended the regional meeting.

Uribe returned to Colombia. During a public event on Saturday, he was sneezing and had a fever and aching muscle. On Sunday, doctors confirmed the cause was the H1N1 swine flu virus.

Checks were being carried out on the 55 people who flew with him to the summit, including cabinet ministers, and Colombian authorities were using diplomatic channels to urge other South American governments "to adopt the necessary measures", said Uribe's spokesman, César Mauricio Velásquez.

To date, neither the president's travelling companions nor the other heads of state with whom he came into contact have reported symptoms.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/31/uribe-alvaro-colombia-swine-flu

[HonestRN]

Aug. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Colombian Defense Minister Gabriel Silva is showing symptoms of swine flu following a trip with President Alvaro Uribe, who is infected with the virus.

Silva began feeling ill with a fever this morning and has been isolated and is undergoing tests, according to a statement issued by the president’s office. Silva became sick after traveling with Uribe to Argentina for an Aug. 28 meeting of the 12-member Union of South American Nations, or UNASUR.

“The minister is following medical advice and continues to be in permanent communication and coordination with his team,” the statement said.

Uribe is undergoing treatment after tests showed yesterday that he is suffering from the H1N1 virus. He is showing “positive” improvements and working via computer, the statement said.

Colombia has given a health advisory to officials who attended the meeting in Argentina and who came into contact with Uribe.

Bolivian President Evo Morales is being treated with the Tamiflu antiviral drug as a precaution though he hasn’t shown any symptoms, daily newspaper La Razon reported, citing Eddy Martinez, head of the Health Ministry’s epidemiology department.

Uribe is the second Latin American president to come down with swine flu. Costa Rican President Oscar Arias was diagnosed earlier this month.

Trade Minister Guillermo Plata and General Freddy Padilla, head of Colombia’s armed forces, are also sick, RCN Radio reported separately. Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez has been examined in China, where he is on an official trip, after accompanying Uribe to Argentina, RCN reported.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aRExnVhF.ZTo