Colombian Prez Comes Down With Swine Flu

By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 30, 2009 6:32 PM CDT
Colombian Prez Comes Down With Swine Flu
Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe, second right, attends the UNASUR summit in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, Friday, Aug. 28, 2009.   (AP Photo/Roberto Candia)

President Alvaro Uribe has the swine flu and officials are contacting other South American governments whose leaders attended a recent summit along with the Colombia leader, authorities said today. The 57-year-old Uribe began feeling symptoms Friday, the same day as a meeting of South American presidents in Bariloche, Argentina, and he was confirmed to have swine flu yesterday.

"This isn't something that has us scared," one official said, adding that Uribe was not considered a high-risk patient. Uribe is not under quarantine and none of his family members or close associates have shown symptoms of the disease, according to officials. Uribe spent Friday defending a plan to give US troops access to Colombian bases as part of the war on drugs. (More Alvaro Uribe stories.)

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