Colombian health authorities confirmed on Thursday three new cases of influenza A/H1N1 in the city of Yopal (center-east), bringing to 10 the total number of people infected in the country.

The National Institute of Health (INS) said on Thursday in a communique that the three people who were newly confirmed with the virus were in good health conditions. They were at home and they wore masks to avoid the spread of the virus.

The patients "are people from Yopal, Casanare department, who were in contact with other patients from the same department," the INS said.

Seven of the 10 reported cases in Colombia were in Yopal, as a sports delegation from that region recently traveled to Florida, the United States, and many athletes were infected there.

Colombia was the first South American country to report a case of A/H1N1 flu on May 3.

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2009)