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Influenza
Infection Now Between Ticos
A Cartago man and a 13 year old girl from
Heredia are the first human-to-human
transfer of the AH1N1 flu in Costa Rica,
said yesterday the ministra de Salud, María
Luisa Ávila.
Ávila explained that the virus is already
circulating in the communities in Costa
Rica, specifically in the family. "Autóctonos"
is the word used by health officials to
explain the cases of infection between Costa
Ricans.
The earlier cases of the flu were all
related, directly or indirectly, to contact
with persons travelling from Mexico.
The ministra said that the man infected four
others in his own family, while the Heredia
girl was isolated when she began to show
symptoms, but in any event infected another
minor.
Ávila added that they are attempting to
determine if a Guadalupe woman had come into
contact with the Boston chorus who were in
Costa Rica last month.
Since April 24, Costa Rican health officials
have investigated 941 suspected cases, of
which 9 were confirmed, 13 are still on the
"probables" list, while the rest were
discarded.
Health official records indicate that in 700
of the cases the results were negative, 76
had the regular flu, 28 did not meet the
definition of a suspected case, one person
dying.
Coronado Manuel Arévalo is the first and
only recorded death from the AH1N1 flu. The
53 year old man had been hospitalized due to
his pneumonia and diabetes,
Symptoms of the flu include a temperature of
38 Celsius, body and joing aches, runny
nose, headache and cough.
The medical director of the Caja
Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), Rosa
Climent, explained that the majority of
confirmed cases in the country had mild
symptoms.
Health authorities insist on hygiene
measures, such as hand washing and sneezing
protocol.
"One of the important points is that the
human influenza virus has, so far, a low
mortality," said ministra Ávila. |
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