Costa Rica and Nicaragua were added this week to the list of nearly 30 countries and territories U.S. authorities are warning pregnant women to avoid because of the presence of Zika virus.
"If you're not pregnant I don't think I would avoid going to Carnival or the Olympics for any reason whatsoever," one Zika virus expert said. The majority of people who get infected — estimated at more than 70 percent — experience no symptoms at all.
Following the confirmation of the first case of a Tico infected with the rapidly spreading Zika virus, Costa Rica Health Ministry officials on Wednesday announced new steps to boost surveillance at all entry points into the country.
Airlines offered refunds to pregnant mothers afraid to travel to countries where Zika is present, while Costa Rica announced measures designed to keep the virus from getting a foothold in the country.
Some Latin American countries are warning women to avoid getting pregnant, after thousands of cases of birth defects linked to the disease in recent months.
The United States warned pregnant women Friday to avoid travel to 14 countries and territories in the Caribbean and Latin America due to the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects.
The Pacific provinces of Guanacaste and Puntarenas account for 70 percent of cases of dengue in Costa Rica so far this year, the Public Health Ministry reported. The number of cases of chikungunya in Costa Rica is increasing, the same report noted.
