The Costa Rican health ministry carried out field interventions this past weekend to contain the malaria outbreak in the Bahía Ballena district in Osa, after the detection of eight cases of malaria.
These cases involve four women and four men, of which seven are hospitalized in stable condition and already have the respective medical evaluation and receiving timely treatment.
Among the actions to be carried out: Officials from the Ministry of Health, together with the Costa Rican Social Security Fund, will be carrying out:
- Visit house to house in search of feverish people to perform a rapid test
- Administer treatment immediately confirmed the diagnosis for the positive case and his or her cohabitants.
- Treatment of hatcheries with biological larvicides.
- Delivery of Mosquito Nets Impregnated with Long-Lasting Insecticide (LLIN)
- Strengthening passive surveillance in health centers through the provision of Rapid Malaria Tests (RDT) to be applied to every person with fever.
At epidemiological week 35, the Ministry of Health, through the Health Surveillance Directorate, counts 452 cases of malaria nationwide, of which 369 are classified as autochthonous, 59 imported, 4 introduced, 4 relapses and the rest under investigation for final classification. The Brunca Region has a total of 34, where it is suspected that the last 8 occurred due to local transmission of the parasite.
Malaria or malaria is a disease caused by a parasite of the genus Plasmodium sp and transmitted to people mainly by the bite of an infected female mosquito of the genus Anopheles sp. and it has been present in the country with endemic characteristics since the 18th century, reestablishing transmission in large regions of the Caribbean Slope and dispersing to other areas of the country.
Health authorities call on the population of the Brunca Region and those who recently visited the Bahía Ballena district to go to the CCSS health facilities if they present symptoms such as: intermittent fever, chills, abdominal pain, fatigue, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, headache, rapid breathing, fast heart rate, cough, and muscle pain.
Source : OUTBREAKNEWS
