CDC Issues Level 2 Warning for Costa Rica's Guanacaste After 4 Chikungunya Cases
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 22
CDC Issues Level 2 Warning for Costa Rica's Guanacaste After 4 Chikungunya Cases
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 22
Summary
Costa Rica's Guanacaste Province was placed under a CDC Level 2 Travel Health Notice after officials linked an outbreak to 4 confirmed and 17 probable Chikungunya cases, many centered on Playa Langosta.
Chikungunya spreads through mosquito bites and typically causes fever and severe joint pain; the CDC said some patients can suffer lingering pain for months to years and that there is no specific treatment.
U.S. health officials urged travelers to use repellent, wear long sleeves, stay in screened or air-conditioned lodging, and consider vaccination if eligible; pregnant women near delivery were told to reconsider travel.
About 5,000 homes have been fumigated and breeding sites cleared as Costa Rica tries to contain the outbreak, which includes both residents and foreign visitors.
The notice adds Guanacaste to a broader run of CDC Level 2 chikungunya alerts this year, including advisories for Bolivia, Cuba, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Seychelles and China's Guangdong Province.