Officials from several government agencies on Monday said the current situation of Zika virus in Costa Rica does not pose a risk for tourists and that there is not any travel or trade restriction related to the mosquito-borne disease.
The alarming spread of the Zika virus is looking more like a public health catastrophe. But it's also something else: The latest example of how human alterations to their environments can empower disease-carrying organisms and the viruses they bring with them.
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.
