A three year old boy from the area of La Cuesta in the Southern Zone, is suspected of being the first case of the Chikungunya in the country.
The boy (whose identity was not released to the press) was admitted this morning to the Ciudad Neily hospital, confirmed the Roberto Castro Córdoba, Jefe de la Unidad de Análisis Permanente de Situación de Salud, of the Dirección de Vigilancia de la Salud, del Ministerio de Salud.
The mother is from the Dominican Republic, the father from Panama. The family, according to Castro, visited the Dominican Republic last month, one of the countries with the highest recorded cases of the virus.
On entering Costa Rica, the boy developed a fever and a petechial or maculopapular rash, so the mother consulted a private doctor who, in turn referred the boy to the Cuidad Neily hospital.
Castro said the boy was admitted to hospital “as a precaution, for observation.
“Given the development of the case it appears the does seem infected with Chikungunya, but we have isolated him as a preventive measure”, said Castro.
Blood samples is being sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S.
Chikungunya infections in Caribbean countries spiked last week, led by quickly growing numbers mainly in the Latin parts of the region, according to the latest update from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
The outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease has now reached 107,424 suspected or confirmed cases, which is 41,204 higher than the 66,220 cases reported the previous week, PAHO said in a May 30 update. It reported 1 more death from the disease, edging the total to 14.
Chikungunya cases surged in Dominican Republic. The number of people affected by Chikungunya fever in the Dominican Republic has reached 52,976, Health Minister Freddy Hidalgo said today. More than a half the cases come from the southern province of San Cristobal, near the capital, where the outbreak was confirmed last April.
Last week, President Danilo Medina expressed his concern for the victims who have flooded emergency rooms in public hospitals.
Symptoms include high fever, headaches, joint and muscle pain and rash. Medical sources say the disease is unlikely to be fatal and there are no vaccines or specific treatment other than treating its symptoms.
