PANAMA, Dec 14 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) - The number of people affected by the consumption of medicines laced with the poison "dietileneglicol" in Panama exceeds 1,800 cases, authorities said.

Special Senior Prosecutor Dimas Guevara released that 85 new cases were received after publishing a list of possible victims, taking into account the analysis of the recovered drug bottles.

The current official figure reveals that there are 1,850 cases among them children.

Guevara said that children show different symptoms such as gastritis, loss of vision , muscular pains and diarrhoea.

Investigation begun following request of the Supreme Court of Justice confirming that there are more cases.

However the Family of the Victims Committee considered that there could be 3000 more poisoned people.

Investigations revealed that dietileneglicol was imported by the Spanish company Rasfer Internacional from China, which sold the medicine to the Panamanian company Medicom, provider of the Social Security Founds (CCS). -- NNN-PRENSA LATINA