Number of individuals carrying flu virus in Costa Rica could become clearer next week

Costa Rica will likely soon get a better handle on the number of residents infected with the H1N1 flu virus.

Since the first reported cases in late April, health officials here have been unable to officially prove who was carrying the virus. The nine cases they were able to identify have required sending laboratory samples to the United States and awaiting results.

Ana Morice, vice minister of health, expects that Costa Rica will be able to confirm cases on the home front as early as next week. The country just received a shipment of testing kits that will help medical personnel determine if a patient is carrying the virus.

“They are here, but we need to work out some technicalities before they will be available for use,” she told The Tico Times.

Costa Rica is currently reporting 873 suspected cases and five probable cases.

See Previous Daily News for earlier Tico Times reports on the flu outbreak.