Wikimedia Commons NORTHWOOD, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NAMSA, the world’s leading medical research organization, is pleased to announce the addition of Microbiological Compliance Laboratories (MCL) as NAMSA’s local agent in Costa Rica. MCL is a microbiology and sterility assurance lab supporting US and European medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers in the region. MCL provides local m...

Luke Lehrer - Flickr Commons The short answer is yes. A recent study published in the esteemed Journal of the American Dental Association suggests that no harmful effects are suffered by the enamel during these treatments. Teeth whitening, also known as bleaching, is one of the most popular procedures sought by dental tourists in Costa Rica. In the past, this treatment has been criticized b...

Wikimedia Commons Cancer is something that is rarely on the minds of dental tourists who come to Costa Rica to get cosmetic and restoration procedures done; however, recent medical research suggests that dental appointments can help in the early detection of malignant cell division in the lymphatic system. In the United States, the Oral Cancer Foundation works with the Head and Neck Cancer ...

Source: BellComm Madrid, Apr 22 (EFE). Spanish aerospace company BellComm is globally marketing its C-44 Medevac autogyro, a safe, practical and effective flying machine that can be adapted to multiple civilian or military uses, including the emergency airlifting of victims of highway accidents or the evacuation of wounded soldiers from combat zones. Its operating cost per flight hour of ar...

Illustrative image. (Flickr) A 33-year old Canadian tourist passed away in a boutique luxury hotel in the capital city of Costa Rica on Thursday afternoon, and investigators are trying to determine whether foul play may have contributed to his tragic demise. According to a news report filed by Alexander Melendez of daily tabloid Diario Extra, the Canadian man has been identified as Danny Be...

File photo Washington, Apr 20 (EFE).- Legal marijuana sales in the United States totaled nearly $5.7 billion in 2015, while more than 100,000 jobs are being created annually in that industry's medicinal and recreational segments, according to a study released Wednesday. Four states (Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington) - in addition to the District of Columbia, where the U.S. capital is...

Pixabay Commons The number of health travelers from the United States who visit Costa Rica for medical and dental procedures could double by the end of this decade. Such was the forecast recently broadcast by national television network Teletica in a report by Adrian Fallas. In 2015, Costa Rica welcomed about 50,000 medical and dental tourists; this figure was reported by ProMed, an organiz...

Wikimedia Commons Caracas, Apr 15 (EFE).- The scarcity of medicines in Venezuela continues to be a tragedy visible in pharmacies and hospitals around the country, weeks after congress declared a "humanitarian health crisis" that includes the lack of 872 essential medications. Cancer patients, HIV carriers, diabetics and those suffering hypertension must either trek from one drugstore to the...

AquaticEdge.org Pay close attention to the picture accompanying this article. The beautiful woman flashing a radiant smile is Karlyn Pipes, swimming world champion and member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, which puts her on a similar level with aquatic legends such as Mark Spitz, Janet Evans and Johnny Weissmuller. At one point in her life, Karlyn was a dental tourist in Costa ...

Wikimedia Commons If you wake up with a terrible toothache in Costa Rica, do you go to straight to your doctor or do you check with your dentist first? According to a recent study published in the British Journal of General Practice, going to a family doctor for a toothache is very likely to result in being sent home with a prescription for aspirin and antibiotics. Although this may be an a...

Caribbean News Service UPDATE: Costa Rica man who had 18-inch yuca surgically removed from anal cavity could file lawsuit (PHOTOS) Surgeons at the San Juan de Dios Hospital in the capital city of Costa Rica removed a yuca (cassava root or manioc) measuring 45 cm of length (about 18 inches) from the anal cavity of a 55-year old man, who is currently in stable condition. According to a rep...

Source: Marie Curie Marie Curie Press Release – 5 April 2016 - London - A driving instructor has swapping her car for her walking boots for a trek to support the Marie Curie Hospice that cared for her late husband. Helene Cook is one of 28 adventurers trekking through Costa Rica to raise more than £100,000 to support the work of the Marie Curie Hospice, Cardiff & the Vale, based in Pena...

(Wikimedia Commons) A 26-year-old Costa Rican woman is suing Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health, alleging she has been left partially paralyzed after receiving an injection of Gardasil, a vaccine which is intended to vaccinate against the human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus most responsible for cervical cancer in women, the daily La Nacion reports. According to the woman, Laura Navarro Calvo...

Wikimedia Commons Cloudy vision in patients 50 years of age or older is often a symptom of cataracts, which happens to be one of leading causes of blindness. According to the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the combined number of patients with macular degeneration and glaucoma do not come close to the number of patients with cataracts on a global level. In the United St...

Pixabay Commons During a February speaking engagement at United Nations Association of New York, renowned author Sasha Issenberg offered a glimpse at the current state of medical tourism:   Some countries have found economic opportunity in turning healthcare into a global business. with insurance can expect to pay $90,000 for a heart bypass in the U.S., but only $12,000 if he or she ...

East Stroudsburg University News Release - About 175 people attended a talk by Anthony Drago, Ed.D., in Costa Rica, where he discussed suicide prevention, disorders of trauma and crises intervention, mood disorders, and anxiety in children and adolescents. Dr. Drago, psychologist and professor and chair of the psychology department in the College of Arts and Sciences at ESU in Pennsylvania, hosted...

Screenshot of INS webpage MEXICO CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A.M. Best has affirmed the financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating of “a-” of Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS) (San Jose, Costa Rica). The outlook for each of these ratings remains stable. The ratings reflect INS' strong capitalization, supported by a comprehensive and adequate reinsurance program, g...

Illustrative image. (Wikimedia Commons) Costa Rica’s infant mortality rate continues to fall, and reached its lowest level ever in 2015, according to a recent announcement by the country’s National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC). Infant mortality in the country last year was 7.8 deaths per 1,000 live births, the lowest level ever recorded, and down from 8.01 deaths per 1,000 live...

Wikimedia Commons Aparecida, Brazil, Mar 28 (EFE).- Brazilian researchers have improved the delivery of a medication to fight Alzheimer's by using a nanofiber to regulate the compound's release, allowing long-term action in the fight against the disease. The project is being led by doctoral student Geisa Salles and professor Anderson Lobo, coordinator of Vale do Paraiba University's Researc...

Source: Northwest Dental ROCHESTER, MN--(Marketwired - March 25, 2016) - Staff members of Northwest Dental Group, a Rochester family dental practice, recently completed a week-long dental mission trip in one of Costa Rica's poorest areas. This month, Drs. Katie Post and Rob Vander Broek traveled to the La Carpio neighborhood in San José -- the country's capital -- joined by dental hygienist...

Pixabay Commons WASHINGTON, March 15th, 2016 – The World Bank (WB) Board of Executive Directors approved a US$420 million loan today to support the Costa Rican Social Security Administration’s (CCSS or La Caja, in Spanish) Strategic Agenda to Strengthen Health Insurance (SASHI), with the goal of improving the timeliness and quality of health care and strengthening institutional efficiency. ...

Stem cells. Wikimedia Commons (PRWEB) MARCH 18, 2016 - Bioscience Americas, LLC (http://www.bioscienceamericas.com), a leading international developer of autologous stem cell therapy centers for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, is pleased to announce that its lead scientific researcher, Dr. Anand Srivastava, has been invited to speak at the Fifth Annual European Biosimilar Conference to be ...

Source: Oral-B At the recent GSMA Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016 in Barcelona, Oral-B unveiled its latest innovation that sets a new oral care standard: Oral-B GENIUS, the first of its kind and Oral-B’s most intelligent brushing system available to-date.   With this new smart toothbrush, dental tourists who return home after getting procedures in Costa Rica can closely follow the ...

Zika map. Source: CDC Washington, Feb 23 (EFE).- Two Texas hospitals announced Tuesday that they have created the first rapid detection test for the Zika virus, for which there is neither vaccine nor cure. The new test can detect Zika in the blood and urine, in the amniotic fluid that protects the embryo and in spinal fluid, a joint communique from the Texas Children's Hospital and the Hous...

Wikimedia Commons Tooth extractions are not the first option considered at clinics that cater to dental tourists in Costa Rica. In general, most dental professionals will only consider extractions when they evaluate teeth that are infected to the point of creating a systemic health risk, or that are fractured beneath the gum line, or when they are extremely loose. The dentistry specialists ...

Wikimedia Commons PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., Feb. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As the cost of hip and knee replacement continues to vary across the United States and international borders, consumers – insurance carriers, employers and patients – are comparing the cost and quality of doctors and hospitals abroad to find the best options for care based on a new poll, the Medical Tourism Association® ...

By Ministério da Defesa - Solenidade de passagem de cargo dos Comandantes da 2ª Região Militar e da 2ª Divisão de Exército no QG do Comando Militar do Sudeste (CMSE), CC BY 2.0 Rio de Janeiro, Feb 13 (EFE).- Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff led this Saturday the National Day of Mobilization for the Fight against the Aedes Aegypti, a day during which more than 200,000 members of the armed for...

Dental Park at Flikier Institute in Costa Rica The healthiest sets of teeth that dentists in Costa Rica can ever hope to examine are usually hidden deep in the gum tissue of newborn babies. These tiny pearls are not visible until they start to break through the tissue, which is something that starts to happen at the sixth month of life. Primary teeth are visible by the age of three, which i...

U.S. Department of Justice Press Release - James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today, that Ann Marie Sheppard, 55, of O’Fallon, Illinois, was sentenced on February 10, 2016, in the U.S. District Court in East Saint Louis, Illinois, on the charges that she engaged in a scheme to steal from a health care program and that she committed two r...

Wikimedia Commons Alison Kosik, a business correspondent for CNN based in New York, enjoyed a vacation in Costa Rica in late January. Just one day after her return to the United States, she noticed that she had endured various mosquito bites at the beach, and she also started feeling headaches, sweats and chills. In an interesting report published on CNN.com, Ms. Kosik recounts her odyssey ...

Zika map. Source: CDC The full case of a 55-year old tourist from the United States, who contracted the Zika virus in Costa Rica, has been published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, a medical journal established in 1927 by the American College of Physicians. The author of the article is Dr. Lin H. Chen of the Mount Auburn Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts. Mount Auburn...

Wikimedia Commons Dover – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) announced today the state’s first Zika case in an adult female. The illness was travel-related and pregnancy is not an issue. Zika is primarily spread by mosquito bite and the individual is not considered infectious. The illness was mild, as expected, and was confirmed by a CDC blood test. To protect privacy, DPH will not b...

By Mar Centenera Buenos Aires, Feb 8 (EFE).- The Aedes aegypti mosquito is considered "a perfect virus-spreading machine" by scientists at Argentina's Center for Plagues and Insecticides Research, or Cipein, which studies the insect's preferences and phobias to fight it and contain dengue, Zika and Chikunguña epidemics. Females of the species, able to lay an average of 100 to 300 eggs, bite ...

Dr. Mora Palma, the alleged ringleader of the group, faces more than 140 years in prison if convicted. (ICR/CRS Archive) The Criminal Court of San Jose ruled late last week that a criminal case against four Costa Rican doctors formerly employed by the public Calderon Guardia Hospital who were charged in 2013 in an illicit scheme to traffic in human organs should proceed to trial. Amongst th...

Source: Pixabay Commons Concerns about the fast spread of the Zika virus in the Americas are keeping public health officials on their toes, and discussion about the often uncomfortable topic of sexual tourism is emerging as a sort of side effect. As recently reported by The Costa Rica Star, the first endemic case of the Zika virus in our country appears to have been contracted by a tourist ...

Wikimedia Commons Many dental tourists who choose to get treatments in Costa Rica are often interested in implantation procedures. Dental implants are prosthetic devices used to replace missing teeth; essentially, a dental implant is an artificial tooth that is permanently affixed to maxillary tissue by means of a root.   Dental implants are very popular among dental tourists, but t...

Dr. Mario Bonilla of New Smile Dental Group Oral restoration is the most popular procedure attracting dental tourists to Costa Rica, particularly when it comes from a desire to replace missing teeth. Although many dental tourists are driven by aesthetic motivations, this is not their sole impulse; according to the dental professionals at the New Smile Dental Group of Costa Rica, not all of the...

Wikimedia Commons Although it may seem as if Costa Rica has always been the leading nation for dental tourism in the Americas, many of us tend to forget that Venezuela once held the title as one of the best Latin American nations for medical and dental tourism, at least until the late 1980s.   There are good reasons to believe that Venezuela could still be the medical and dental tou...

Wikimedia Commons Geneva, Feb 1 (EFE).- The World Health Organization said Monday that the dramatic increase in Brazil of birth defects thought to be caused by the mosquito-borne Zika virus constitutes an international public health emergency. The sharp rise in babies born with abnormally small skulls - a condition known as microcephaly - in areas suffering from a Zika outbreak "constitute ...

Wikimedia Commons An attempt to plant transgenic cotton for research purposes in Costa Rica is being challenged in court. According to a news report recently filed by Carlos Arrieta Perez of online news daily El Pais, a legislator from Frente Amplio (Broad Front) and a few non-profit groups dedicated to environmental protection claim that the transgenic cotton seeds contain traces of Agent Ora...