Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, February 12,  2003

BETTER SPRAY YOURSELF WITH BUG REPELLENT: Three cases of a rare and potentially deadly form of malaria were contracted in the Central Pacific beach of Herradura. However, health officials doubt the disease will spread to other parts of the country. See story below. Photo/World Health Organization

Outbreak of Rare Form of
Malaria Near Herradura Beach
Three people in the last three weeks have been diagnosed with plasmodium falciparum, a rare and extremely dangerous form of malaria. All three patients had recently spent time at popular Herradura Beach, just north of Jacó, on the Central Pacific coast. (Click for more)

Men's Hotline: Successful Initial
Month, But Needs More Personnel
The region's first confidential men's help line, Línea de Apoyo Para Hombres (APH), concluded its first month of operation in January, but its operators say the amount of help it can provide is severely limited by lack of personnel, funding and short working hours.
(Click for more)

Costa Rica To Appeal European Commission's
Decision To Revoke Trade Privileges
Costa Rica will appeal Tuesday's by the European Union's (UE) European Commission to begin applying tariffs on several non-traditional export products as of June 31 before the Council of Ministers.
(Click for more)

Nicaragua Withdraws Support For
Family Of Nine-Year-Old Pregnant Girl
Managua, Nicaragua - Nicaraguan officials are no longer backing the repatriation request made by the parents of a pregnant nine-year-old girl in the Caribbean-slope town of Turrialba.
(Click for more)

Dragons at Bookshop
Go to Librería Internacional in Multiplaza at 3:30 p.m. and learn about Chinese Dragons. Info: 800-542-7374.

Art Lovers
Don't miss the painting exhibit at National Theater. Jeannette Carballo and Clory Campos are displaying their latest works. Info. 233-1272.

Love Concert
Get your ticket today to see Ricardo Montaner's ballad concert. The Venezuelan singer is delighting hearts on Valentine's Day at 8 p.m., at Saprissa Stadium, Tibás. Info: 234-6266.

Outbreak of Rare Form of
Malaria Near Herradura Beach
Fabián Borges
Tico Times Staff

Three people in the last three weeks have been diagnosed with plasmodium falciparum, a rare and extremely dangerous form of malaria. All three patients had recently spent time at popular Herradura Beach, just north of Jacó, on the Central Pacific coast.

"It's not the type of malaria, we're used to, it's much more severe," Health Minister María del Rocío Sáenz warned Tuesday. "Though all the cases were diagnosed in San José, they were picked up in the Herradura area."

Falciparum malaria is the deadliest of the four varieties of the disease and is responsible for 40% of all malaria-related deaths worldwide, Sáenz said. This variety of the disease is extremely rare in Costa Rica.

According to health official, the first two patients acquired the disease while camping on the beach in Herradura. Upon returning from their trip, they began to display traditional malaria symptoms, including high temperatures, heavy sweating and joint pains. They also displayed sharp fluctuations in body temperature every three days - a unique trait associated with falciparum malaria. Both were treated at San José hospitals and have since been released.

The third case was detected in a 12-year-old girl who visited Herradura last week. She suffered the same symptoms as the other two cases, was transferred to a hospital and is now recovering after having spent most of the weekend in critical condition.

Despite the severity of this form of malaria, it is simple to treat with the right medicines. Unlike other resistant strains, falciparum is not immune to traditional medicines. However, if not treated in time, it could be fatal, Sáenz explained.

The Health Ministry and the Social Security (Caja) are launching an all-out offensive to stop the disease from spreading outside Herradura. "We're working in the zone searching for additional cases and destroying potential breeding ground for the malaria carrying anopheles mosquito," she explained. "We are confident that the outbreak is under control and is limited to Herradura."

The Health Ministry is working closely with nearby hospitals in Puntarenas and Quepos to make sure they are aware of the disease, its symptoms and how to treat it.

"The possibility that the disease will spread to the Central Valley (altitude 1,000 meters) is nil," the minister said. "The mosquito that carries this form of malaria cannot survive in altitudes higher than 500 meters above sea level."

Local residents are urged to use screens on doors and windows, and to eliminate puddles of still water that serve as breeding ground for the carrier mosquito.

Men's Hotline: Successful Initial
Month, But Needs More Personnel
Fabián Borges
Tico Times Staff

The region's first confidential men's help line, Línea de Apoyo Para Hombres (APH), concluded its first month of operation in January, but its operators say the amount of help it can provide is severely limited by lack of personnel, funding and short working hours.

The support line, which after multiple delays began operating on Dec. 13, is designed to be a forum where adult males can express their feelings and concerns and receive advice on issues pertaining to masculinity, sexuality, relationships, and violence prevention. (Tico Times, Nov. 2, 2002)

Between Dec. 13 and Jan. 15, APH processed a total of 363 calls, 119 of which entered directly through the hotline (234-2730) and 244 of which were forwarded by 911 emergency operators.

Most of the calls came from men living in San José. The rest were evenly distributed among the country's other provinces. Christmas and New Year's Day were the days when the highest number of calls was made.

Calls to the hotline fell under four main categories: violence and aggression in progress - which must be transferred to police - aggression against men, male aggressors looking to correct their actions, and legal matters such as divorce, child support and custody issues.

José Manuel Sals of Instituto WËM, which runs the service, believes the hotline has been able to unearth an issue that usually remains hidden in Costa Rican society - men's need for support and advice. He noted that most men tend to hide their problems, internalizing them and holding them in until they manifest themselves through acts of uncontrollable rage and physical abuse against their spouses and children.

In his opinion, the hotline provides a place where men can calmly and without fear of judgment express their feelings, fears and problems. In that sense, the hotline is helping to prevent future acts of violence.

Salas believes that by expanding the line and teaching men that it's all right to feel powerless at certain times, society as a whole stands to benefit.

Instituto WËM is a non-profit organization dedicated to counseling, assisting and advising men. Its name is a Bri Bri word meaning "friend, father, man, and husband." The support line is currently funded by the National Women's Institute (INAMU), the government's World Solidarity Association and the 911 emergency line.

The hotline is open for calls four hours a day, seven days a week. It runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. Instituto WËM's staff and a group of fourth-year psychology students personally attend each call. Limitations in personnel and infrastructure make it difficult to process all calls received by the hotline and leave operators with practically no time between calls.