2009 swine flu pandemic in Costa Rica

Main article: 2009 flu pandemic by country
Costa Rica
  Confirmed cases followed by death
  Confirmed cases
  Unconfirmed or suspected cases

In March and April 2009, an outbreak of a new strain of flu (also known as influenza), popularly known as swine flu, was discovered to have infected several people in Mexico and the states of California and Texas in the United States. On April 28 Costa Rica became the first Central American country to report the outbreak of the virus, with a confirmed infection.[1] As of November 4 the Costa Rican Ministry of Health had 1,596 confirmed cases, 1,275 pending cases, 8,000 already discarded, and 38 deaths.[2]

On July 31, local authorities announced that the country was selected among the sample countries that will be part of the test of the vaccine developed by Swiss pharmaceutical Novartis. The local sample will include 784 Costa Ricans ages 3 to 64. Besides Costa Rica, this vaccine prototype will be tested also in Mexico and the United States.[3]

On August 11, it was confirmed that Costa Rica's president, Óscar Arias Sánchez, was infected with the A(H1N1) virus, becoming the first head of state sick with the A(H1N1) virus[4][5] President Arias returned to his normal activities after one week of isolation at his home.[6]

  1. ^ "Confirmada primera tica con fiebre porcina" (in Spanish). La Nación. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
  2. ^ Ministerio de Salud de Costa Rica (4 November 2009). "Comunicado Oficial: Situación de la Influenza Pandémica en Costa Rica al 4 de noviembre de 2009 - Boletín N. 60" (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 December 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
  3. ^ "Ensayo de vacuna contra virus AH1N1 incluirá a Costa Rica" (in Spanish). La Nación. 2009-07-31. Archived from the original on 2009-08-03. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
  4. ^ "Presidente Arias contagiado con gripe AH1N1" (in Spanish). La Nación. 2009-08-11. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  5. ^ "Costa Rican president sick with swine flu". CNN. 2009-08-11. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  6. ^ "Presidente retoma hoy actividades públicas" (in Spanish). La Nación. 2009-08-18. Archived from the original on 2009-08-21. Retrieved 2009-08-31.