Costa Rica

MAIN HEALTH RISKS

• There are cases of malaria in Costa Rica, but the risks of transmission through mosquito bites remain rather low and limited to the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, as well as low altitude plains (Huetar Norte, along the Nicaragua border, and Huetar Atlantica, Limon). Strains are not resistant to chloroquine (level-1 resistance).
• Dengue fever is endemic in the country and the phenomenon is aggravated during the rain season, from May to November. Numerous cases are regularly reported in the touristic provinces of Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limon. The central valley (San José, Cartago, Heredia, Alajuela) is also affected despite its altitude and has been hardly hit by the 2002 epidemics. Young children and order people are particularly at risk.
• There is a risk of leptospirosis in Huetar Norte (along the Nicaragua border) and Huetar Atlantica (Limon). This serious disease is transmitted through contact with products contaminated by infected animals' urine (through food or when bathing in an infected water for instance).
• Visitors are asked to be vigilant regarding hygiene; hepatitis E, for which there is no vaccination available, may be lethal for pregnant women.

FOOD SAFETY

• Gastric diseases are common among tourists who are not accustomed to local food or who do not take precautions.
• Due to the obsolescence of water pipes and river pollution, there is a high risk of chemical and bacteriological contamination of tap water in the capital city and its suburbs. It is recommended to drink bottled water.
• Avoid eating ice cream, sherbet, raw or undercooked dishes, especially meat or fish. If possible, order hot dishes.
• Bring anti-diarrhea medication with you.
• Wash your hands thoroughly before each meal.
• It is advised not to eat seafood on the Pacific coast (Nicoya peninsula and Puntarenas province) due to recurrent "red tide" episodes, which can make them toxic, particularly from November to May.

IMMUNIZATIONS AND MEDICATION

• NO specific immunization is required when entering the country.
Systematically:
• Hepatitis A: the vaccination is available for children at least one year old. For persons who were born before 1945, who have spent their childhood in a developing country or who have had an icterus, it may prove useful to search previously for serous antibodies in order to avoid an unnecessary shot.
• Hepatitis B: the vaccination is available for children at least two months old.
• Diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis: get a booster shot before leaving if your last shot is more than ten years old.
• Due to the risk of propagation of the yellow fever in the country, Costarican health authorities advise foreign visitors to get immunized before entering the country.



Depending on the duration and conditions of the trip:
• Typhoid fever: if the stay is occurring in precarious hygiene condition. The immunization is available for children at least 2 years old.
• Tuberculosis: in case of a long stay, it is recommended to have children immunized against tuberculosis as soon as they reach the age of one month, and against mumps, measles and rubella when they reach the age of nine months.
• Recommended chemoprophylaxis against malaria: chloroquine (commercial name: Nivaquine).

HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURES

San Jose
• Hospital CIMA San Jose (private hospital, it is compulsory to pay a deposit on admission), Carretera Prospero Fernandez: phone + 506 208 1000, fax + 506 208 1001
• Hospital Clinica Biblica (idem), PO Box 1307 - 1000, Calle Central y Calle Primera, Avenida 14: phone + 506 221 3922, fax + 506 221 0645
• Hospital Clinica Catolica (idem), Apartado 3184-1000: phone + 506 246 3247, fax + 506 283 6171
• Hospital San Juan de Dios (public hospital): phone + 506 257 6282
• Hospital Nacional de ninos (idem): phone + 506 222 0122
• Hospital Mexico (idem): phone + 506 262 6700 (standard) ou 232 6122

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

• Ambulances: 911
• Firemen: 118
• Police: 911

CLIMATE

• The climate is tropical and humid on the Caribbean coast, temperate in the center and tropical on the Pacific coast.
• The dry seeason lasts from January to May and the rain season from April to December.
• Precipitations are more important on the Atlantic coast than on the Pacific coast (intense rains but over a shorter lapse of time).
• The central valley has a temperate climate all year long. Temperatures are very high in summertime on the Pacific coast, a little lower on the Caribbean coast (30°C).
• When to go: between December and May.