The Colombian government confirmed on Tuesday that five more people tested positive for the A/H1N1 flu virus, raising the number of confirmed cases in the country to 50, including one death.

Three patients from southwestern Valle del Cauca had been to the United States, and one patient from northern Barranquilla came back from Ecuador. Another patient from northeastern Bucaramanga had traveled to Argentina and Uruguay, according to the report of the Social Protection Ministry.

The five patients are recovering fast, the ministry said.

The Colombian government announced on Thursday that it has tightened control at hospitals and health centers after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared influenza A/H1N1 had developed into a worldwide pandemic.

The Social Protection Ministry reported on Tuesday that currently there are 198 possible cases in Colombia.

(Xinhua News Agency June 17, 2009)