Doctors have identified the E. Coli bacteria in a man from Colombia’s northern Cordoba department Sunday.
The patient is awaiting test results to learn which of the numerous strains of E. Coli he might be carrying.
Hernandez, who works for the Health Secretary in the department capital Monteria, said that he has not traveled outside the country since the outbreaks of E. Coli in Europe.
Family members suspected that Hernandez might have been infected at the recent Festival Vallenata in Valledupar. The patient’s wife stated in an interview with Caracol Radio that he came in contact “with many people” at the festival, and that she does not rule out the possibility of the E. Coli originating in Valledupar.
Hernandez and his family are waiting for their healthcare provider, EPS Coomeva, to authorize the patient’s transfer to a more specialized hospital in Medellin.