No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeChikungunya bluesCosta Rican health officials seek preventive alert for chikungunya virus

Costa Rican health officials seek preventive alert for chikungunya virus

Health Ministry officials will ask the National Emergency Commission (CNE) to issue a “green alert” to draw attention to the spread of chikungunya after 13 patients tested positive for the virus in the country.

The Health Ministry’s director of health surveillance, María Ethel Trejos, and its general director of health, Priscilla Herrera, on Monday evening said they would submit the preventive alert request to the CNE later this month. Included in that request will be a list of strategies to prevent the virus from spreading.

“We’ll approach the issue as we did during the influenza outbreak, with specific guidelines for schools, health care centers and work places,” Trejos said. The goal is to “help people understand that we all have a role [in preventive action], and no one should wait for ministry staff to eliminate mosquito breeding sites on their own.”

All 13 chikungunya cases here involve people who contracted the virus while traveling abroad. Two patients – one who contracted the virus in Haiti and another in the Dominican Republic – were referred to rheumatology specialists due to the severity of symptoms, Trejos said.

The youngest patient is 4, and all are from the provinces of Cartago, Alajuela and San José.

Herrera recommended that travelers avoid countries with a high number of chikungunya cases, such as the Dominican Republic.

“If the number of cases continues to increase [in Costa Rica], it will have a significant financial cost,” Herrera said, referring to a potential increase in lost days at work and school, and a possible drop in tourism, a current trend in the Dominican Republic.

The chikugunya fever is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The disease – like dengue – causes fever, severe muscle and joint pain, headaches, nausea, fatigue and rashes. Chikugunya symptoms are more aggressive than dengue symptoms and can persist for up to 10 months.

Trending Now

Costa Rican Court Orders Release of Migrants Deported Under Trump Deal

A court on Tuesday ordered Costa Rican authorities to release foreign migrants who had been detained in a shelter after being deported under an...

Costa Rica Surf Film Festival Honors ‘Pura Vida Bodysurfing’ with Top Audience Award

Pura Vida Bodysurfing is an award-winning short film that strips surfing back to its essence—riding waves without a surfboard. Filmed across Costa Rica’s legendary...

Climate Change in Costa Rica Devastates Coffee Farms in Los Santos

In Costa Rica’s Los Santos region, famous for producing nearly half the country’s coffee, farmers are reeling from heavy losses driven by wild weather....

U.S. – Guatemala Security Pact Targets Crime and Helps Returning Migrants

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem signed a border security cooperation agreement with Guatemala on Thursday, which includes the use of drones and...

Costa Rica to Launch Electric Air Taxis for Sustainable Travel in Guanacaste

Costa Rica is poised to revolutionize its transportation landscape with the introduction of electric air taxis, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional ground travel...

Retired Nicaraguan Army Captain Sentenced to 50 Years for Treason

A retired military officer was sentenced to 50 years in prison in Nicaragua for the crime of "treason against the homeland," his family denounced...
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 News from Costa Rica