COSTA RICA

You can not donate if you or your mother were born in Costa Rica due to the risk of Chagas disease.

There is a Malaria risk  all year round  in Limon province on the Caribbean coast and in the Alajuela province.

You cannot donate for 365 days (1 year) from the date you leave the area of the country where the malaria risk applies  as a visitor only e.g. a holiday / business trip of less than 6 months in duration.

Tropical illness risk is all year in whole country so it must be a minimum of 90 days since you left any part of the country before you can attend a clinic.

There was a previous malaria risk all year round the  in whole country until Dec 2011

If any of the risk factors listed below apply to you:

• You lived at any time in any malarial endemic area for a continuous period of 6 months or more
• You ever had malaria
• You ever had an unexplained fever associated with any malarial endemic area
•  

Samples can be taken (but not a donation) to include a malaria antibody test:

• If a minimum of 6 months have elapsed since you left any malaria area
• You are fully recovered from malaria for at least 3 years (where applicable)
• You are fully recovered from the unexplained fever for at least 6 months and it is 6 months since you left the malarial area

You will be able to attend a clinic 42 days later if the malaria test is negative ( the IBTS will contact you if the  test result is positive) .Once all other criteria are met on future visits a test for malaria will be carried out in our labs every time you donate.

  Please contact us on the Donor Infoline  1800 731 137 if you have any queries