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Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health reported 66 cases in a Salmonella outbreak connected to Hospital CIMA in Escazú. Two cases were confirmed by laboratory testing, and two patients were hospitalized; officials have not identified the source or a specific food.
Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health has reported 66 cases in a Salmonella outbreak connected to Hospital CIMA in Escazú, according to an alert issued by the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica on October 29. Two cases have been confirmed by laboratory testing, and two patients have been hospitalized; investigators have not identified a contaminated food or confirmed how the infection spread.
The Ministry of Health is working to identify shared exposures among those affected and determine the outbreak’s mode of transmission. The report says illnesses have been recorded among hospital workers. It does not provide a breakdown of all 66 cases by whether they are suspected or confirmed, nor does it describe the patients’ conditions beyond the hospitalization count.
Laboratory analysis identified Salmonella in two confirmed cases. Symptoms reported in the embassy alert include diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever and general malaise. The available report does not specify when the illnesses began, when the first case was identified, or whether the hospitalized patients are hospital employees, patients or other people.
The U.S. Embassy advised its personnel to consider alternative locations for medical care until the outbreak is resolved. Its alert also recommends careful handwashing with soap and water, separating raw and cooked foods, thoroughly cooking eggs, poultry and meat, and promptly refrigerating perishable foods. It advises washing produce, avoiding unpasteurized dairy and not preparing food for others while experiencing gastrointestinal illness.
Outbreak Affects a Hospital Community
An outbreak connected to a hospital warrants attention because the affected setting may include patients, staff and visitors, while illness could complicate care for people who are already seeking medical treatment. The report confirms cases among hospital workers, but it does not establish whether the hospital itself, a food service or another shared exposure was responsible.
The embassy’s advice to consider other care locations is directed at its personnel and is not a general closure notice. No suspension of hospital services is reported. For people in the area, the key practical message is to follow public-health hygiene and food-handling guidance while authorities investigate. The number of reported cases alone does not show how many people remain ill or whether new infections are continuing.
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A Separate Mexican Hospital Outbreak
The report also describes a separate Salmonella outbreak in Mexico in early September. Health officials there confirmed 135 people became ill at Hospital General de México Dr. Eduardo Liceaga. That outbreak was linked to food supplied by the hospital’s outsourced catering service, and the hospital suspended the service while an investigation began.
The Mexican episode is background, not evidence of a connection to the Costa Rican cases. The available information about Hospital CIMA identifies no specific food or transmission route. The two events occurred in different countries, and no shared supplier, cause or other link is reported.
“The embassy advised its personnel to consider alternative locations for medical care until the outbreak has been resolved.”
— U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica
Source and Case Details Remain Unknown
Authorities have not identified the source of contamination, a particular food or the route by which Salmonella spread. The Ministry of Health is still investigating possible common exposures. The report does not say whether investigators suspect food, person-to-person transmission, an environmental source or another explanation.
The reported total is 66 cases, with two laboratory-confirmed. The available information does not explain how the remaining cases were classified, whether additional testing is underway, or how many people are currently symptomatic. It also gives no dates for illness onset, no age or patient-status breakdown, and no update on the two hospitalized people. These details may change as the investigation progresses.
Health Ministry Continues Exposure Investigation
The Ministry of Health’s next reported task is to trace common exposures and determine transmission. Further findings could clarify whether the illnesses share a food, location, service or other link, but no timetable for results is provided. The report also does not announce a specific testing or control milestone.
Until officials resolve the outbreak, the embassy’s precautionary advice remains in place for its personnel. People with gastrointestinal symptoms should avoid preparing food for others and follow local medical guidance. Updates on case counts, laboratory results and any identified source will be needed to assess whether the outbreak is expanding or contained.
Key Questions
How many people have been affected in Costa Rica?
The Ministry of Health reported 66 cases connected to the Hospital CIMA outbreak. Two cases were confirmed by laboratory testing, and two patients were hospitalized.
Has officials identified the contaminated food?
No. The report says no specific food has been identified, and the source of contamination has not been confirmed. The Ministry of Health is investigating shared exposures and the mode of transmission.
What symptoms have been reported?
The embassy alert lists diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever and general malaise. The report does not say that every affected person had all of these symptoms.
Has Hospital CIMA closed?
The available report does not say that the hospital closed or suspended services. The U.S. Embassy advised its personnel to consider other locations for medical care until the outbreak is resolved.
What precautions did the embassy recommend?
The alert recommends washing hands with soap and water, separating raw and cooked foods, thoroughly cooking meat, poultry and eggs, and refrigerating perishable food promptly. It also advises washing produce, avoiding unpasteurized dairy and not preparing food for others while experiencing gastrointestinal illness.
Source: foodsafetynews.com
