World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PHO) representative Angel Valencia (1st L) receives a box of samples of the A/H1N1 virus after it was collected in Panama City, capital of Panama, on May 20, 2009. Panama on Wednesday gave samples of the A/H1N1 virus collected in the country to the World Health Organization (WHO) for the study to produce a vaccine. Panama became the second country, after Mexico, in the world on sharing samples of the virus with the WHO. [Xinhua]

Panama on Wednesday gave samples of the A/H1N1 virus collected in the country to the World Health Organization (WHO) for the study to produce a vaccine.

Nestor Sosa, director at the Memorial Institute Gorgas, said Panama was quite proud of the "symbolic" move as Panama became the second country, after Mexico, in the world on sharing samples of the virus with the WHO.

"The influenza viruses could have genetic changes when they are spreading to different regions of the world, so it is very important to evaluate the mutations and its recombination," Sosa said.

WHO and Pan American Health Organization (PHO) representative Angel Valencia credited this delivery as Panama's important contributions to the international efforts to produce the vaccine.

Panamanian President Martin Torrijos and Health Minister Rosario Turner also attended the ceremony.

Panama has registered 65 confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases so far.

(Xinhua News Agency May 21, 2009)