The Ministry of Health of Panama (Minsa) confirmed the first three cases of influenza A H3N2 subtype K in the country, all detected in residents of the Panamanian capital, according to the Argentine News Agency. According to the health authority, the first case corresponds to a 23-year-old woman hospitalized in the intensive care unit of Santo Tomás Hospital since November 12. The other two patients are a 40-year-old woman and a minor, hospitalized since December 8 in the respiratory care unit of the Children's Hospital. Sequencing and surveillance Minsa detailed that the Gorgas Memorial Institute sequenced 10 samples of influenza A H3N2 received between November and December, and three tested positive for the K variant. Health authorities maintain epidemiological surveillance and recommend reinforcing prevention measures against respiratory viruses.
