Bogota, May 4 (Inditop) Colombia has confirmed its first case of infection by the influenza A(H1N1) virus, also known as swine flu.

The victim, a 42-year-old man, had recently returned from Mexico. Officials said the patient is currently in stable condition.

Seventeen other suspected cases of swine flu in the country is currently under investigation.

“We have sent 18 samples (of human swine flu infections in the country) to a laboratory in Atlanta to establish the presence of the virus. One of the samples tested positive,” public protection minister Diego Palacio told reporters Sunday.

The minister said several laboratories across the world had offered to help Colombia to analyse the suspected cases of swine flu in the country.

By rounak