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Three French tourists hospitalized for measles, confirm specialists |
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 By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
The Ministry of Health confirmed Thursday that tests of three French tourists, a married couple and their fiver-year-old son, were positive for the measles virus. The three tourists, who arrived in the country on February 18, were reportedly infected with the disease in France. A Health Ministry statement said that the child and his mother had not been vaccinated against the virus and the father did not have a complete vaccination record. “Also the testimony of the parents, some of the son school's classmates had measles," added the statement. The French family has not been in strict isolation since Thursday when they were admitted to the Monseñor Sanabria Hospital in Puntarenas*. They will remain in the hospital for one week. The protocol in this case, said ministry officials, is for an investigation into the health of all the people who could have come into contact with the three tourists in order to insure that the virus has not spread, and, if necessary, vaccinate people against the disease. The specialists decided to keep the family name of the tourists private. The Ministry officials reported the case to the health authorities in France so that they can follow up on possible contacts the child had before traveling to Costa Rica. As A.M. Costa Rica reported on Jan 18th, Social Security finished its primary measles vaccination campaign Feb. 8, but 7 percent of the nation’s children still have not received the vaccine. According to the agency, 63 percent of children over 15 months and under ten years old were already protected against measles. The least-vaccinated age group is between 8 and 9 years old. According to the report, all regions have vaccination rates that exceed 50 percent, with three weeks still to complete the first phase. Once this first stage is completed, if necessary, the Social Security teams will initiate a search process to vaccinate the infant population that was not vaccinated to reduce the risk of measles virus transmission. The campaign cost was $1.2 million which was financed by the Social Security. |
 A.M. Costa Rica wire services photo A
network flat rash, which usually starts on the
face and then spreads to the rest of the body,
typically begins three to five days after the
start of symptoms.
Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by a virus. Symptoms usually develop 10 to 12 days after exposure to an infected person and last seven to10 days. Initial symptoms typically include fever, often greater than 40 degrees C (104.0 F), cough, runny nose, and inflamed eyes. Small white spots known as Koplik's spots may form inside the mouth two or three days after the start of symptoms. A network flat rash, which usually starts on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body, typically begins three to five days after the start of symptoms. Common complications include diarrhea, in 8 percent of cases, middle ear infection in 7 percent and pneumonia in 6 percent. Less common are seizures, blindness or inflammation of the brain. The measles vaccination program was put in place as an emergency measure to protect those most vulnerable to the disease immediately, as the virus is circulating in more than a dozen countries in the Americas. Outbreaks have occurred in Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Venezuela, United States, Canada, Venezuela, Guatemala, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, among others. -------- Did you know that the measles vaccine is free for all children registered with Social Security? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com *Link to reach the place on map. |
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