No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeChikungunya bluesNot chikungunya, say Costa Rica health officials

Not chikungunya, say Costa Rica health officials

Two patients were discharged this week from local hospitals after the Health Ministry said lab tests for the chikungunya virus were negative. 

The first patient, a 3-year-old boy, was admitted last Tuesday to Ciudad Neily Hospital in the southern Pacific region. Roberto Castro, director of the Health Ministry’s monitoring unit, said blood samples from the child tested negative for the virus.

Parents of the child, from the Dominican Republic and Panama, had visited the Caribbean island nation last May. The Dominican Republic is among countries with the most reported cases of chikungunya in the region, according to the Pan American Health Organization.

Tests from a second patient, a 60-year-old Costa Rican man, also were negative. He was admitted at the San Juan de Dios Hospital in the capital last Thursday.

Blood sample analysis was conducted at the Gorgas Institute for Health Studies in Panama. But Castro said that as of last Friday, the Health Ministry now has the capability to conduct lab testing for chikungunya in Costa Rica.  Tests take up to 72 hours for results, he said.

Chikungunya causes similar symptoms to the dengue virus, including high fever, rashes and severe joint pain. It is transmitted by two mosquitoes: the Aedes aegypti – which also carries dengue – and Aedes albopictus. Both types are found in Costa Rica.

Chikungunya symptoms, however, last longer than dengue symptoms, and the virus causes chronic arthritis in 5 percent of patients.

Castro said that as of Monday, no other suspected cases of the virus exist here, but health officials will remain alert because chikungunya has been found in Panama.

Popular Articles

Costa Rica’s Tourism Sector Faces Competitive Challenges Despite Modest Growth

The Costa Rican tourism sector, a key driver of our nation’s economy, is grappling with competitiveness issues even as it sees a slight uptick...

United Airlines Starts Direct San Francisco to San José, Costa Rica Flights

United Airlines started a new daily nonstop flight from San Francisco (SFO) to San José, (SJO) on May 22, connecting the U.S. West Coast...

Costa Rica and Panama Dismantle Migrant Smuggling Network

A joint Costa Rica–Panama operation has dismantled a transnational criminal organization involved in human smuggling and money laundering. Authorities carried out 23 raids Wednesday...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest Articles