Hepatitis A outbreak, Costa Rica
Should I be worried? · Pathogen library: hepatitis a · Costa Rica
| Official | Media, unverified | Reported this week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirmed cases | — | 1,537 | — |
| Suspected cases | — | 23 | — |
Hepatitis A virus is a known, vaccine-preventable cause of acute liver infection spread mainly by the fecal-oral route, including close person-to-person and some sexual contact. For this Costa Rica event, the strongest current signal available in-session is indirect: a media report says CDC posted a Level 1 travel health notice on 2026-09-18 for a hepatitis A outbreak in Costa Rica, with most cases in San José province. The same report attributes 772 confirmed cases through epidemiological week 32 of 2026 to a Costa Rican Ministry of Health bulletin, including 562 in San José province, but the primary ministry bulletin was not retrieved in this session, so those figures remain media-reported official-attributed numbers rather than directly verified official totals here. No current WHO Disease Outbreak News item for Costa Rica was found. Media reporting does not currently contradict the official-attributed account; the main issue is verification, not a numeric dispute. The outbreak appears geographically concentrated in and around San José but not confined to one neighborhood, with smaller counts also reported in Cartago and Alajuela. What to watch next is whether Costa Rican authorities publish updated primary figures, whether transmission is linked to specific water systems, food exposure, or close-contact networks, and whether case growth continues beyond the currently cited week-32 totals.
Situation as of 21 Sept 2026
Official
No current WHO Disease Outbreak News item for this Costa Rica outbreak was found in-session. A media report states that CDC posted a Level 1 travel health notice on 2026-09-18 for a hepatitis A outbreak in Costa Rica and said most cases were in San José province. The same report attributes 772 confirmed cases through epidemiological week 32 of 2026 to a Costa Rican Ministry of Health surveillance bulletin, including 562 in San José province, but that primary ministry document was not retrieved in this session.
Media, unverified
Media coverage frames this as a localized but sizable outbreak centered on San José province, with more than 770 national cases, smaller counts in Cartago and Alajuela, and advice to vaccinate rather than cancel travel.
Control measures
Reported measures and advice include CDC Level 1 travel guidance, hepatitis A vaccination for travelers, possible immune globulin for some higher-risk or last-minute travelers, and handwashing. The media report also says officials did not identify one common water source for the wider increase, though contamination was reportedly detected in one water system linked to a smaller cluster.
Timeline
- · CDC reportedly posted a Level 1 travel health notice for a hepatitis A outbreak in Costa Rica, stating that most cases were in San José province.
- · A media report summarized ministry-attributed surveillance data as 772 confirmed hepatitis A cases nationally through epidemiological week 32 of 2026, including 562 in San José province, with smaller reported burdens in Cartago and Alajuela.
Latest reports
- · teletica.com · Media, unverified
Cuide su hígado: tres factores que pueden ponerlo en riesgo - · medicaldaily.com · Media, unverified
Costa Rica Hepatitis A Outbreak Tops 770 Cases as CDC Posts Travel Notice Centered on San José Province