Respiratory infections drive rising hospitalizations and deaths in Costa Rica and Brazil

Health authorities in Costa Rica and Brazil are reporting significant surges in severe acute respiratory infections (SARI), particularly affecting young children and the elderly.

In Costa Rica, the Hospital Nacional de Niños has recorded 13 deaths this year due to respiratory infections, with most victims being children under the age of four. The hospital is facing high demand, reporting a 119% occupancy rate in certain wards and a fully occupied Intensive Care Unit. Reported causes of death include respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza A, Covid-19, rhinovirus, and adenovirus. Nationally, the Ministry of Health has recorded over 6,500 cases of SARI in children under five.

In Brazil, the Ministry of Health reported 1,454 hospitalizations for SARI in recent weeks. So far in 2026, 233 deaths have been associated with respiratory viruses. The most affected demographics are children under two years old (28% of admissions) and adults over 60 (23% of admissions). Rhinovirus remains the predominant circulating virus, followed by RSV and metapneumovirus. While hospitalizations remain within expected parameters, health officials noted a trend approaching alert thresholds.