Health authorities expressed their concern on Thursday as cases of Dengue have tripled so far in 2020 compared to the previous year, and they have asked the population to reinforce measures against this virus.
The Ministry of Health reported 1,760 cases of Dengue during the first quarter of 2020, more than triple the 542 cases that were registered in the same period of 2019.
The regions with the most cases are Huetar Caribe with 590 and Central North with 241 cases.
At the beginning of the rainy season in Costa Rica, the Ministry of Health calls on the population to combat the Aedes Aegypti mosquito by eliminating all kinds of breeding sites.
“We are in a difficult moment where the country faces COVID-19, but unfortunately the other diseases continue their cycle, that is why we call on the population to help us at home, with the elimination of breeding sites,” said in a statement Rodrigo Marín, the director of Surveillance of the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Health indicated that it continues to carry out control and mitigation tasks, but insisted on the need for the population to remove from their homes all objects in which water can stagnate and that favor the reproduction of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, that transmits the disease.
Last year, Costa Rica accounted for 8,179 cases of dengue, 200% more than the 2,735 registered in 2018.
Since the virus appeared in 1993, 23 people have died from Dengue in Costa Rica, the last one in 2013, which was the year with the highest number of patients with almost 50,000.
As everyone stays home to remain safe from the covid-19, a good practice in addition to washing hands frequently is to do a quick check around your home:
- Empty out stagnant water from old tires, in any type of container, empty flower pots, buckets, etc and if you have pets, their drinking water tanks
- Use mosquito repellent, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants, in particular at dusk
- Cut your weeds, grass, wild vegetations – that is, keep your yard clean
- If you use mosquito nets, give them a once over to see if there are any holes
- Children are the most affected
A great chart comparing the covid-19 and dengue.
