The director of Health Surveillance of the aforementioned portfolio, Rodrigo Marín, of that number 56 patients are men and 41 women, while 52 cases correspond to the canton (municipality) of Pococí, 42 to Limón (capital), two cases to Matina and one to Siquirres, all in the Caribbean province of Limón.
Marín asked the population of Limón and those who visited that province during Holy Week, to go to the health establishments of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS, in charge of public health in Costa Rica) in case of presenting symptoms.
Among these, the official mentioned intermittent fever, chills, abdominal pain, fatigue, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, headache, rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, cough and muscle pain.
He indicated that duly identified workers from the Ministry of Health and the CCSS carry out sweeping house-to-house visits to detect people with symptoms, take samples for rapid tests, provide medicines prophylactically and fumigate in the Caribbean sector.
Likewise, he maintained that since this Tuesday they have strengthened the work at an inter-institutional and interdisciplinary level, with the participation of the central, regional and local levels of the Ministry of Health and the CCSS, as well as representatives of the Municipal Emergency Committee to formulate and execute joint strategies in addressing this malaria outbreak.
Among these, Marín pointed out to intensify the systematic active search for malaria cases, prioritizing the town of Moín, and the supervised prophylactic treatment in the neighborhoods of nine miles and 12 miles, better known as the La Playa sector in Moín.
In addition, the application of rapid tests for the diagnosis of malaria (PDR) in all health establishments in the province of Limón, as well as in communities with the appearance of positive cases of malaria.
Supervision and training of health facility personnel by an expert regional team and integrated vector management through fumigation to reduce mosquito densities are other measures.
Finally, Marín pointed out, developing risk communication strategies in an integrated manner between the CCSS, the Ministry of Health and the Municipal Emergency Commission, with the support of local actors and the reinforcement of laboratories in the area to expand the capacity to carry out diagnostic tests for malaria.
Malaria is caused by a parasite of the genus Plasmodium and transmitted to people mainly through the bite of a female mosquito of the genus Anopheles.
This disease has been present in Costa Rica with endemic characteristics since the 18th century, reestablishing transmission in large regions of the Caribbean slope and dispersing to other areas of the country.
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