Costa Rica's Dengue and Malaria Outbreaks Disrupt Summer Vacations

International visitors may be exposed to several infectious diseases in the Republic of Costa Rica in 2023, reported the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of June 18, 2023, though malaria cases have been reported primarily in the Caribbean province of Limon, there is a risk of contracting this mosquito-transmitted disease anywhere in Costa Rica, says the local U.S. embassy.

Costa Rica has been advancing various programs toward the elimination of malaria by the year 2025.

Additionally, Costa Rica has been suffering an outbreak of dengue (both classic and hemorrhagic) for a few years.

As of epidemiological week #16 in 2023, a total of 1,179 cases of dengue were reported, with most of the dengue cases found in the Huetar Caribe and Central Sur regions.

Dengue is a vaccine-preventable disease, with two vaccines currently authorized in various countries.

And from a security perspective, the U.S. Embassy in San Jose recently alerted U.S. citizens of increasing civil unrest in San Jose and suggests enrolling in the Smart Traveler Program to receive emergency notifications.