Source: El Comercio (Ecuador)
Date: August 22, 2009
The AH1N1 virus has arrived in the Galapagos Islands. The Director of Ecuador’s Health system, David Basante, indicated that yesterday afternoon a 17-year old adolescent, from Santa Cruz Island, is the first reported and known case in Galapagos.
The Director indicated that the adolescent was in “perfect health” and will receive 75mg of Tamiflu for 5 days.
The Ministry of Health has dispatched 500 treatments of Tamiflu to the Galapagos Islands. Of this, 2 have been administered to two suspected cases. The authorities do not know how the infection occurred.
Galapagos has two hospitals (in Santa Cruz and San Cristobal), with each one having a 15-bed capacity. As of yesterday, hospital staff of both hospitals have increased procedures and facilities to attend to patients that arrive with possible symptoms.
To date, on a national level there have been a total of 900 positive reported cases, with 24 associated deaths.

