Costa Rica confirms 441 cases of Zika virus including 17 pregnant women

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First Zika virus case reported in Costa Rica

ZACH DYER 2 HOURS AGO

The first case of the mosquito-borne Zika virus has been detected in Costa Rica, health officials announced Tuesday.

The Health Ministry issued a statement confirming the first documented case of Zika virus in the country, detected in a 25-year-old man who contracted the virus while visiting Colombia.

Originally from West Africa, the virus can cause serious birth defects including microcephaly, a condition that causes children to be born with an abnormally small head and incomplete brain development. It?s recent spread to Caribbean and Latin American countries has caused alarm among residents and travelers, and even prompted some governments to encourage women to hold off getting pregnant for the time being.

Costa Rica?s first patient started showing symptoms, which include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise and headaches, on Jan. 22 before he returned to Costa Rica on Jan. 23. He sought medical attention on Jan. 24 at a Costa Rican public hospital, officials reported.

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http://www.ticotimes.net/2016/01/26/first-zika-virus-case-reported-costa-rica

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Costa Rica confirms first two local cases of Zika virus

L. ARIAS 2 HOURS AGO
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Officials from Costa Rica?s Health Ministry on Monday confirmed that two women from the community of S?mara, in the northwestern province of Guanacaste, are the first two confirmed cases of locally acquired Zika virus.

Officials noted that none of the women had left the country and neither had contact with people who were recently abroad.

The first case is that of a 24-year-old woman currently in her 38th week of pregnancy, and who on Feb. 10 attended a local clinic after presenting various symptoms.
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The ministry?s director of health surveillance, Daniel Salas, said doctors at the Nicoya Hospital performed ultrasounds and other tests on the baby, and confirmed that he does not show signs of complications or microcephaly, a disease that doctors in some countries claim may be linked to the mosquito-born disease.
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The other confirmed case is of a 32-year-old woman, also from S?mara, who was tested at Nicoya Hospital two weeks ago. Llorcas received the positive results of her tests during the news conference while he was announcing the results of the first case.

The second woman?s condition is stable, and she is recovering at home. Doctors tested the woman?s relatives, including her 1-year-old daughter, and results so far are negative, Salas said.
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Before the two confirmed cases, Costa Rica registered only two cases of Zika virus contagion, both of whom were infected abroad. The first case was a 25-year-old Tico who contracted the virus during a visit to Colombia. The second was a Honduran man who was here for only a few days before returning home.

The Health Ministry had reported the case of a U.S. man who presented symptoms last month, but he left the country before he could be tested. Although it is not clear if the man was infected here, a few days later the ministry received confirmation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which prompted the inclusion of Costa Rica in the list of countries with active circulation of Zika virus.
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https://www.ticotimes.net/2016/02/22/costa-rica-confirms-first-two-local-cases-zika-virus

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MORE THAN 28 NEW CASES OF ZIKA IN THE COUNTRY, NOW TOTALING 98

HealthJun 9, 2016 0 3

The Ministry of Health issued the weekly news update on the status of zika, dengue and chikungunya in the country. In epidemiological week number 21, eight cases were reported in Nicoya, one in Carrillo, four in Alajuelita, 63 in Garabito, five in Parrita and four in Puntarenas, among other places.
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Nevertheless, no cases of associated neurological syndromes and microcephaly are reported. So far 487 cases have been ruled out.

There are currently five infected pregnant women, the first being an indigenous case of a 24 year old woman in Samaro. This woman was confirmed with the virus at 25 weeks of pregnancy and the Monsignor Sanabria hospital has taken control of the case
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http://thecostaricanews.com/health/more-than-28-new-cases-of-zika-in-the-country-now-totaling-98/

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Source: http://www.ticotimes.net/2016/06/20/...100-costa-rica


Zika virus total surpasses 100 cases in Costa Rica
L. Arias 8 hours ago

Costa Rica?s tally of confirmed Zika cases exceeded 100 last week, according to the Health Ministry.

The June 15 report stated there are 107 confirmed cases of Zika virus, 67 of them in the Central Pacific canton of Garabito where the popular beach destination of Jac? is located.

Of the 107 affected, 46 are men and 61 are women. Patients range from 3 to 74 years old and the average age is 17, the ministry reported. There are five pregnant women with confirmed cases of Zika but lab tests so far do not indicate the presence of microcephaly, a birth defect linked to the virus.

Health officials also confirmed 14 patients contracted the virus abroad: nine in Nicaragua, three in Colombia, one in Honduras and one in the Dominican Republic...

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Translation Google

Neighbouring Garabito and Puntarenas, reported Ministry of Health

Two more pregnant women are monitored by contracting the virus Zika

UPDATED AUGUST 10, 2016 AT 06:04 PM
BY ANGELA R. AVALOS aavalos@nacion.com

Two women join the list of pregnant women who have contracted the virus Zika in the country; 17 in total so far this year.

The last two cases were detected last week. It is neighboring Orotina and Puntarenas, the Ministry of Health.

The latest epidemiological bulletin, released Wednesday afternoon, reveals that these two women were between six and 27 weeks of gestation at the time of diagnosis zika.

The risk period considered is 26 weeks or less of pregnancy.

This increases the threat that the baby is born with microcephaly, a condition that is characterized by the smaller than normal head, which is associated with developmental problems and learning.

In total, so far this year there have been 441 patients, 124 of whom are of Garabito, in the Central Pacific.

Despite being the area with sicker, in recent weeks the number of cases has been decreasing thanks to the actions taken by the Ministry of Health, the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), local government and entrepreneurs, because at the moment there World Surfing develops.

The second canton zika incidence is Orotina, with 50 patients accrued to date. Followed Quepos (37), Santa Cruz, Guanacaste (36) and Puntarenas (31).

The coordinator of the National Vector, the Ministry of Health, Rodrigo Marin Rodriguez, said that this virus is occurring more in women than men: 62% of cases occur in women.

Currently, the Ministry of Health is working to control two major outbreaks; one Orotina, and the other in Esparza, said Marin.

He confirmed that in the second suspected case of Guillain-Barre syndrome no laboratory evidence that associates the case with Zika virus.

As said, the lady-a woman of 71, a resident of Orotina- only has a history of having contracted dengue.

To date, only a 14 years has developed the neurological problem due to zika.

Microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome are two risks associated with the disease, transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti, the same also spread dengue and chikungunya.

http://www.nacion.com/nacional/salud-publica/embarazadas-vigiladas_0_1578242261.html