Costa Rica: Officials report five deaths due to dengue
Costa Rica officials say a multidisciplinary commission was formed, made up of professionals from the Ministry of Health and the Costa Rican Social Security Fund, including pathologists, infectious disease doctors, emergency medicine and epidemiology specialists, among others to investigate more than a dozen fatalities to determine if the deaths were due to dengue.
The commission determined that, of the 14 cases studied, 5 were associated with mortality due to dengue.
The following details the information on the five deaths from dengue:
A 43-year-old male from Nicoya canton, Guanacaste province; a 49-year-old female from Alajuela canton, Alajuela province; an 83-year-old male from Orotina canton, Alajuela province; a 51-year-old male from Turrialba canton, Carthage province and a 31-year-old female also from Turrialba canton, Carthage province.
According to the authorities, the review of these cases involved extensive work that included reviewing the notes of each clinical care provided to the patient, laboratory tests performed, clinical and pharmacological approach, as well as the anatomopathological findings in those cases where an autopsy was performed or tissue samples for pathological analysis were available.
Through September 14, Costa Rica has recorded 23,428 cases of dengue since the beginning of the year, a 103 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023 (11,527). The Central South region has the highest number of suspected cases (5,525) and the Brunca region has the highest rate of 918.71/100,000 inhabitants.
In all of 2023, Costa Rica reported 30,649 total dengue cases and no deaths.
CNRV-INCIENSA reports 979 positive samples by PCR, confirming 501 for serotype 3 and 194 for serotype 4.
The Ministry of Health once again urges the general population to take extreme measures to clean up, eliminate mosquito breeding sites, take care of vacant lots, eliminate the accumulation of used tires, clean canoes, minimize the use of aquatic plants; as well as reinforce the use of repellent and inform health providers of any situation they consider suspicious and sites that could generate mosquito breeding sites. In addition, they are invited to be active participants in the mobilization activities against dengue called by the country's health authorities.
Lastly, officials advise to be alert to the presentation of symptoms suggestive of severe dengue: persistent abdominal pain, swelling, frequent vomiting, signs of bleeding gums, presence of bruises without apparent cause.