Panama recalls medicine after mystery deaths

PANAMA CITY, Oct 7 (Reuters) Panama on Friday withdrew stocks of a medicine used by thousands to treat high blood pressure after investigations linked it to a mystery illness that has killed 19 people.

Health Minister Camilo Alleyne said officials were recalling Lisinopril tablets from pharmacies, hospitals and private clinics across the Central American country as scientists tested the drug for toxic agents that may have poisoned 30 people.

''The cause is still not completely confirmed,'' Alleyne told a news conference late on Friday. ''We decided as a safety precaution to withdraw this medicine from use.'' Lisinopril is a drug made by several companies that is used to treat hypertension and heart failure.

The death toll from the mystery illness -- which starts with nausea, fever, diarrhoea and weakness, and soon progresses to acute kidney failure, partial paralysis and death -- rose by one to 19 on Friday. Another 11 people are sick.

First reported a month ago, the illness has struck mainly elderly men being treated for high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney disorders. Most were taking multiple treatments.

Post-mortem tests revealed damage to kidney and nerve tissue, which officials said pointed to possible toxic agents.

Some 7,000 Panamanians have public health service prescriptions for Lisinopril. Alleyne could not say how many private patients also use the drug.

Panamanian and US scientists working on the case had ruled out illnesses like dengue fever, influenza and West Nile virus.

REUTERS AKJ DS1205