Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is still recovering from the swine flu, and now his defense minister is showing some symptoms of the illness, officials said Monday.
Uribe, 57, was diagnosed with swine flu when he returned from Friday's summit of South American leaders and his government urged other leaders who attended the meeting in Bariloche, Argentina, to check if they have been infected.
A day after Uribe's illness was revealed, the presidential office said Monday that Defense Minister Gabriel Silva has swine flu symptoms, including "fever, general discomfort and cough." Although it hasn't been confirmed he has the virus, Silva is being kept isolated and treated for swine flu.
Uribe hasn't been quarantined and is working from the presidential residence, officials have said.
His doctor, Gustavo Aristizabal, said Monday that Uribe still exhibits some symptoms but that he expects the leader to recover this week.
"He hasn't had a fever since Saturday night," Aristizabal said. "At this moment, he's in good condition."
It remains unclear where Uribe contracted the virus. Aristizabal said he suspected Uribe was infected before leaving for the summit in Argentina, saying infection often occurs several days before symptoms appear.
Colombia has reported 621 confirmed cases of swine flu, including Uribe's. There have been 34 deaths from the illness, according to authorities.
Uribe is the second Latin American leader to come down with the swine flu. On Aug. 11, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias announced he had swine flu and was being quarantined at his home. The 69-year-old leader has recovered.
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Associated Press Writer Carla Salazar in Lima, Peru, contributed to this report.
