Health officials in Costa Rica confirmed Tuesday an imported Zika virus infection in a man who contracted the virus while traveling in Colombia, according to local media.
The 25-year-old patient started showing symptoms, which include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise and headaches, on Jan. 22 before he returned to Costa Rica on Jan. 23. He sought medical attention on Jan. 24 at a Costa Rican public hospital.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reports 22 countries and territories in the Americas with confirmed Zika autochthonous, or local transmission to include Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Suriname, US Virgin Islands and Venezuela.
Earlier this week, UN health officials said the mosquito borne virus would likely spread throughout the region. This has even prompted US President Barack Obama to call for the rapid development of tests, vaccines and treatments to fight the Zika virus.
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