In December, the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia was approved for use in Mexico, Brazil and the Philippines, following successful clinical trials started in 2011.
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.
The Pan American Health Organization issued an epidemiological alert on the potential spread on the continent of the mosquito-borne viral disease Zika, which is similar to dengue and Chikungunya, but with milder symptoms.
Coming down with dengue or chikungunya is a feverish nightmare. Now imagine having both viruses at the same time. That's what happened to two residents of the Pacific community of Chomes, in Puntarenas, who tested positive for both viruses, Costa Rica’s Health Ministry reported Thursday.
LONDON — Scientists have discovered new antibodies that neutralize viruses that cause dengue, potentially putting a universal vaccine within reach for a mosquito-borne illness that strikes an estimated 400 million people a year.
Costa Rican Health Ministry officials on Thursday confirmed two more cases of the chikungunya virus. Both were reported in the central Pacific community of Jacó, bringing the total number of cases to 47.
