Zika Virus Update: Costa Rica Confirms First Case in the Country; Rio Olympics Affected?

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Costa Rica health officials confirmed that there is a first known case of the Zika virus in the country.

According to the country's health ministry, a 25-year-old man was diagnosed with the virus as he contracted it while on a trip in Colombia. Tico Times reports that the patient exhibited the known symptoms of the virus on Jan. 22 before returning to the country on Jan. 23.

He showed signs of muscle and joint pain, headaches, malaise, skin rashes, fever and conjunctivitis. The man then brought himself to a Costa Rican hospital on Jan. 24. The health officials had the man's bedroom fumigated and assessed neighbors that may have had contact and exhibiting the same symptoms as precaution.

According to the World Health Organization, the Zika virus is spread by the same mosquito that carries dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. There is currently no treatment and vaccine against the virus as most cases are mild and require no treatment. Furthermore, it cannot be spread from human to human. The best prevention is to protect oneself from mosquito bites.

The virus is linked to a wave of birth defects in Brazil. Babies whose mothers may have been infected by the virus have unusually small heads according to their research, according to US & World Report News.

Due to the outbreak of Zika, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published a travel advisory on pregnant women postponing their travel plans to mostly Latin American countries affected by the virus. This includes countries such as Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Mexico, Guatemala, Paraguay, Panama, Haiti, Guyanam, Honduras, El Salvador, Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

With Rio de Janeiro, Brazil hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics in August, the country is saddled with safe-proofing the country from the Zika as they welcome their hundreds of thousands of visitors.

"We are losing the battle in a big way," Brazil's health minister Marcelo Castro told Reuters.

Next month, the country will be celebrating the highly awaited Brazilian Carnival. To prepare, Castro plans to send more than 200,000 troops to help spread awareness about the virus and more than 3,000 health workers have been dispatched across Rio to determine mosquito hot spots so they can eliminate it.

Parade grounds were also sprayed with insecticide especially in places where people will gather for the festivities. They will be keeping a very close eye on the Carnival and Olympic venues during the major events.