The disease is mostly a problem in developing countries with warm climates.
/ A.M. Costa Rica wire services photo
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Health authorities confirmed four
cases of malaria in Limón
By A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Ministry of Health confirmed four cases of malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum in Limón*, in the Caribbean area, specifically in the towns of Pacuare and Villa del Mar.
The Ministry reports that two Costa Ricans contracted the disease in South America and upon arrival in the country infected two more people through the bite of mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles.
The four cases include 3 men and a woman between the ages of 25 and 48, who received medical treatment at Tony Facio Hospital*.
Due to these two new cases, the authorities fumigated around the houses of people with the disease, in addition, they are looking for people who were in contact with them and may need medical treatment.
In April, as A.M. Costa Rica reported, the updated report of the Ministry of Health, confirmed 17 cases of malaria. Now that record increased to 21 cases.
The first 17 cases of infected people are foreign immigrants living in the communities of Pocosol, Cutris, and Los Chiles, in San Carlos*.
Doctors report that, "in the country, the area considered the malarial area is below 600 meters above sea level, which is equivalent to 70 percent of the country." Specialists are touring the northern zone with the goal of identifying active foci in the transmission of malaria.
"From the Ministry of Health we continue to promote timely diagnosis and immediate treatment as the main strategy for controlling this disease," said Dr. Rodrigo Marín, representative of the Ministry.
Ministry statistics show that from 2016 to 2018 there were 146 cases of malaria. Of these cases, 86 were classified as people who entered the country with the virus.
Social security technicians, as a preventive measure, have distributed mosquito nets so that people can install them in the windows of their homes. They are sprayed with insecticide in areas where the cases have been detected and technicians locate the people who have had contact with them.
Another risk factor is the illegal gold miners who enter the country, mostly from Nicaragua, thus increasing the risk of spreading the disease in Costa Rica.
"Nicaragua has had epidemics in the last year reaching up to 10,000 cases," said Minister Salas.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine says that malaria is a serious disease caused by a parasite. A person gets it when an infected mosquito bites them.
Malaria is a major cause of death worldwide. The disease is mostly a problem in developing countries with warm climates. There are four different types of malaria caused by four related parasites. The most deadly type occurs in sub-Saharan Africa.
Malarial symptoms include chills, flu-like symptoms, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and jaundice. A blood test can diagnose it. It can be life-threatening. The type of drug used to combat the disease depends on which kind of malaria the person may have and where the person was infected.
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