PANAMA CITY, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Panamanian health authorities reported on Monday eight suspected cases of A/H1N1 flu in the Atlantic city of Colon, 80 km to Panama City.
Regional director for the Health Ministry Aurelio Pineda told the press Monday that there were pregnant women and children among the possibly infected patients.
The medical staff directly assisted these patients and their blood samples were taken to the Commemorative Institute Gorgas, whose lab is specialized on A/H1N1 virus detection, Pineda said.
The ministry has a program of quick response in the Atlantic coast in case the patients test positive of A/H1N1 flu, he added.
The national authorities have reported a total of 654 confirmed cases, including eight deaths.
Panama reported its first case on May 8 and since then it launched a massive preventive campaign to stop the virus from spreading.