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According
to specialists, only six
of the children were
infected with the virus. /
A.M. Costa
Rica wire services photo
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Measles quarantine of a U.S.
family withdrawn
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica
staff
The Ministry of Health withdrew
its quarantine of a U.S. family
living in Costa Rica. The
family, two adults, and nine
children, residents of Cobano* in
the province of Punaternas, have
reached the end of the measles
transmission period.
Due to security policies
regarding the privacy of
patients, the names of the
children and their parents will
not be published.
According to specialists, only
six of the children were
infected with the virus. They
have already overcome the
disease and are fully recovered.
The other members of the family,
the two parents, and three more
children were not infected with
the virus.
"The quarantine health order was
withdrawn because the incubation
period of the virus expired, so
there is no risk of contagion
for people," the Ministry said
in its statement.
As A.M. Costa Rica reported on
April 1st, six members of the
family were confirmed as
measles’ patients. The children
remained in isolation at their
home in Cobano.
The parents and their nine
children had been vaccinated
against the disease. The
children are not registered in
any school and so are presumed
to be home-schooled so the risk
that they have infected other
children is low.
The National Board of Children,
known as PANI, has intervened
with the entire family during
the measles incubation period,
keeping them in isolation.
The National Board of Children,
confirmed that they have carried
out an intervention. The reason
that the investigation continued
is that the doctors had reported
that the children do have not
had any of the vaccinations
required by law and none of them
attend school.
Daniel Salas, Minister of
Health, reported that "the
children could have acquired the
virus from a U.S. citizen woman
who recently visited the family
and had measles symptoms, and
she has left the country."
Doctors are calling on health
authorities to remind caregivers
that children need a complete
vaccination scheme (two doses
for measles, one year and three
months and on admission to
school).
In case any person has the
following symptoms: fever, nasal
congestion, cough,
conjunctivitis, skin rash that
starts on the head and expands
through the body towards the
feet, reaching the hips around
the second day, you must go
immediately to the clinic in
your area.
This case is not related to the
latest case registered in
February, involving a French
tourist family.
In that case, the parents and
their 5-year-old son arrived in
the country on February 18 after
having been infected with the
disease in France.
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They
entered the
country with
measles and
spent one week
in isolation at
the Monseñor Sanabria Hospital in Puntarenas* on
February 26.
The report, in
that case,
showed that the
child and his
mother had not
been vaccinated
against the
virus and the
father did not
have a complete
vaccination
record. The
parents stated
that some of
their son’s
classmates had
measles.
The family
remained in
isolation for
the standard
seven day period
set by national
and
international
precautionary
standards to
prevent the
spread of the
virus. Social
Security
activated the
isolation
protocol because
there are no
native cases of
transmission of
the measles
virus.
Social Security
has not reported
the costs of the
week-long
medical service
provided to the
French family
but did confirm
that the
government will
cover the
child’s expenses
under the Code
of Childhood and
Adolescence. The
international
insurance
company Europ
Assistance
France will pay
the cost of care
for the parents.
According to Dr.
Ramírez "measles
is considered
the most
contagious
disease
worldwide, with
a transmissible
rate of 90
percent, means
that of 10
unvaccinated
people exposed
to the virus, 9
have the
possibility of
getting sick."
The virus
spreads easily
through the air
through drops
coming from the
nose, mouth or
pharynx due to
coughs and
sneezes of
infected people
and the ability
of the virus to
replicate is
high.
While there is
an international
transmission of
the virus, there
is a high risk
of getting
measles. Doctors
are calling on
Costa Ricans to
have their
children
vaccinated.
Social Security
maintained the
‘extraordinary
day of
vaccination
against measles’
finished March
31.
The vaccination
campaign was
aimed at all
children between
15 months and 9
years.
According to
Social Security,
770 thousand
doses of
vaccines were
purchased with
an investment
that reached
$1.2 million.
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Should
Costa Rica close
its borders to
anyone who has
not been
vaccinated for
measles?
We would like to
know your
thoughts on this
story. Send your
comments to: news@amcostarica.com
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