Panama has alerted Costa Rican health officials to a pertussis (whooping cough) outbreak in the Ngäbe Buglé comarca, sparking concerns over potential spread across the shared border. The Panamanian Ministry of Health reported 16 confirmed cases along with one death linked to the disease. Officials point to seasonal worker migration as a key risk factor, given the daily travel of Ngäbe people between the two countries for agricultural jobs.
The outbreak centers in the remote communities of Soloy and Emplanada de Chorcha in the Besikó district. Health teams identified the cases through lab tests and epidemiological links. One fatality involved a patient with pre-existing heart issues and a tracheotomy, who had close contact with an infected person. Authorities also confirmed one case beyond the comarca, in Panama’s metropolitan area, signaling possible wider transmission.
Panama’s Ministry of Health acted fast, getting four rapid response teams to the affected zones. They conducted house-to-house searches, treated 729 residents, and administered 3,001 vaccine doses to curb the spread. Classes are suspended in impacted areas, and radio broadcasts in the Ngäbe language urged locals to vaccinate. Vaccination rates in the comarca stand at 85 percent, but officials aim to boost coverage to halt the bacteria’s advance.
Pertussis, caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacteria, spreads through respiratory droplets from coughs or sneezes. It starts with cold-like symptoms such as fever and runny nose, then escalates to intense coughing fits that can last weeks. The disease hits hardest in unvaccinated children under five, the elderly, and those with weakened immunity, sometimes leading to severe breathing problems or death.
The alert for us here in Costa Rica stems from the comarca’s location near our border and the ongoing harvest season. Thousands of Ngäbe workers cross into Costa Rica annually for coffee and other crop picking, raising fears of imported cases.
Panamanian officials notified Costa Rica to increase surveillance and prepare for possible exposures. Authorities here have yet to announce specific responses, but experts stress the need for vigilance in border regions like Limón and Guanacaste, where migrant workers often settle temporarily.
The Ngäbe Buglé comarca, home to over 212,000 people facing poverty rates above 88 percent, struggles with access to care. Limited roads and remote villages complicate outbreak control. Panama banned public events in the comarca to limit gatherings, and health leaders called on families to complete vaccination schedules, which include doses at 2, 4, and 6 months for infants, with boosters later.
