Twenty two people have mysteriously died since midsummer in Panama. It was thought that the cause was some kind of 'mysterious' fatal infectious disease. However, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has finally found the culprit to be an industrial chemical found in a cough syrup all of the affected people were taking. The cough syrup was made by a governmental pharmaceutical factory.

All the people who got sick started showing similar symptoms like kidney failure, nausea, diarrhea, paralysis and sagging of the facial muscles. Most of the victims were over 60 and were diagnosed with either diabetes or hypertension. An anti-hypertension drug Lisinopril was suspected of causing the deaths at first but that was ruled out after the tests. The urine, blood and tissue analyses showed no presence of contagious diseases.

After some time, health workers noticed that all the victims used a similar product, a sugar-free cough syrup. The syrup samples showed the presence of a poisonous chemical, diethylene glycol, which is used in antifreeze and paint products.

The cough syrup is a product of a pharmaceutical factory operated by Caja de Seguro Social, a government hospital system in Panama.
Panamian authorities have advised the people who took the medicine to also take an antidote for the chemical. The cough syrup was recalled from the market.