Costa Rica's Disease Outbreaks Continue Into Summer

As the summer 2023 vacation season in the United States approaches its mid-point, various countries are disclosing expanding disease outbreaks.

One of America's favorite destinations is Costa Rica, which has been confronted with several disease outbreaks in 2023. 

The Ministry of Health, with the support of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute and members of the tourism sector, announced on July 6, 2023, they promote a series of strategies to prevent the spread of dengue and call for a country alliance to combat it.

The Ministry of Health has fumigated more than 300,000 homes, more than 10,000 vacant lots, and 1,489,151 deposits have been treated in 2023.

Additionally, to raise awareness, we must protect ourselves from the mosquito that causes dengue disease in this half-year vacation period.

"The control of dengue is in our hands; what we can do eliminating breeding sites, using 10 minutes a week to check our immediate environment such as tires, tanks, buckets, animal drinkers, potted dishes and canoes, washing them and putting them in an indoor place where they do not fill with water and thus deal a mortal blow to the Aedes Aegypti (mosquito)", said Dr. Mariela Marín, General Director of Health, in a media statement.

As of week #25 of 2023, Costa Rica had reported:

Chikungunya - 23 cases

Dengue - 2,712 cases

Malaria - 327 cases

Zika - 6 cases

As of July 8, 2023, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says to ensure you are up-to-date on all routine vaccines before every trip to Costa Rica.

There are two dengue vaccines approved in 2023.

Unfortunately, there are no approved vaccines currently available for Zika and Chikungunya.

And to raise awareness of the ongoing malaria outbreak, the CDC recently issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice for Costa Rica.

From a treatment perspective, the CDC recommends that travelers to certain Costa Rica areas take medicine to prevent malaria. These medicines are generally available at travel pharmacies in the U.S.