Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health on Monday confirmed the first case of Zika virus in a child in the country.

According to health officials, an 8-year-old child in Carrillo, Guanacaste has contracted the mosquito-borne illness, first displaying symptoms on April 7^th.

The child has seemingly recovered from the initial infection and is reported to be in good health, according to health officials.

The case also marks the first indigenous case of Zika infection outside the canton of Nicoya, and brings the total number of indigenous cases in Costa Rica to nine.

 

The Zika virus in Costa Rica

To date, and including the child in Carrillo, there have been a total of 13 confirmed cases of Zika infection in Costa Rica.

Of the total, there have now been nine indigenous cases, including the 8-year-old child.

Until now, all of the indigenous cases had been contracted in the canton of Nicoya, specifically in Nosara and Samara, in the province of Guanacaste. The case of the child in Carrillo is the first to occur outside of the canton of Nicoya.

The remaining cases have been “imported” cases of infection, where the patient contracted the virus during a trip abroad.

Health authorities in recent months have launched a nationwide campaign to eliminate breeding sites of the Aedes aegyptie mosquito that spreads the virus.