A5089473711- Trypanosoma species research and implications
- Research on Leishmaniasis Studies
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Malaria Research and Control
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Insect Pest Control Strategies
- Parasites and Host Interactions
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Zoonotic diseases and public health
- Public Health and Social Inequalities
- Viral Infections and Immunology Research
- Cardiomyopathy and Myosin Studies
- Dermatological diseases and infestations
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
- Galectins and Cancer Biology
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Vibrio bacteria research studies
- Synthesis and Biological Evaluation
- Nitric Oxide and Endothelin Effects
- Biochemical and Molecular Research
Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud
2016-2025
Universidad de Panamá
2011-2025
Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación
2023
University of Georgia
2020
United States Army
2013
City of Knowledge
2013
Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología
2013
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
2013
Fast Track Drugs and Biologics
2013
Universidad Nacional
2013
Chagas disease, a neglected illness, affects nearly 12-14 million people in endemic areas of Latin America. Although the occurrence acute cases sharply has declined due to Southern Cone Initiative efforts control vector transmission, there still remain serious challenges, including maintenance sustainable public policies for disease and urgent need better drugs treat chagasic patients. Since introduction benznidazole nifurtimox approximately 40 years ago, many natural synthetic compounds...
Background Anthropogenic land use may influence transmission of multi-host vector-borne pathogens by changing diversity, relative abundance, and community composition reservoir hosts. These hosts have varying competence for depending on species-specific characteristics, such as life history strategy. The objective this study is to evaluate how anthropogenic change influences blood meal species the effects parasite infection rate Chagas disease vector Rhodnius pallescens in Panama....
Identifying the source of resurgent parasites is paramount to a strategic, successful intervention for malaria elimination. Although incidence in Panama low, recent outbreak resulted 6-fold increase reported cases. We hypothesized that sampled from this epidemic might be related and exhibit clonal population structure. tested genetic relatedness parasites, using informative single-nucleotide polymorphisms drug resistance loci. found were clustered into 3 subpopulations Colombia. Two clusters...
, a zoonotic kinetoplastid protozoan parasite, is the causative agent of American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease). Having very plastic, repetitive and complex genome, parasite displays highly diverse repertoire surface molecules, with pivotal roles in cell invasion, immune evasion pathogenesis. Before 2016, complexity genomic regions containing these genes impaired assembly genome at chromosomal level, making it impossible to study structure function several thousand encoding molecules...
Anthropogenic disturbance is associated with increased vector-borne infectious disease transmission in wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. The objective of this study was to evaluate how a tropical forest landscape impacts abundance the triatomine bug Rhodnius pallescens , vector Chagas disease, region Panama Canal Panama. collected (n = 1,186) from its primary habitat, palm Attalea butyracea five habitat types reflecting gradient anthropogenic disturbance. There high proportion palms...
Background Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical vector-borne disease. Sand fly vectors (SF) and Leishmania spp parasites are sensitive to changes in weather conditions, rendering disease transmission susceptible local global scale climatic patterns. Nevertheless, it unclear how SF abundance impacted by El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) these might relate CL transmission. Methodology Findings We studied association patterns between monthly time series, from January 2000...
In this randomized, double-blinded Phase 2 trial, 30 patients with Leishmania panamensis cutaneous leishmaniasis were randomly allocated (1:1) to receive once daily topical treatment WR 279,396 (15% paromomycin + 0.5% gentamicin) or Paromomycin Alone paromomycin) for 20 days. The index lesion cure rate after 6 months follow-up was 13 of 15 (87%) and 9 (60%) (P = 0.099). When all treated lesions included, the final 279,398-treated again 87%, but Alone-treated 8 (53.3%; P 0.046). Both creams...
The Rhodnius Pacific group is composed of three species: pallescens, R. colombiensis and ecuadoriensis, which are considered important vectors trypanosomes (Trypanosoma cruzi T. rangeli) infecting humans. This as a recent trans-Andean lineage derived from the widespread distributed sister taxa pictipes during later uplift northern Andes mountain range. widest spread species pallescens may be complex two divergent lineages with different chromosomal attributes particular biogeographical...
Accurate blood meal identification is critical to understand hematophagous vector-host relationships. This study describes a customizable Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) approach identify meals from Rhodnius pallescens (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) triatomines using multiple barcoded primers and existing software pick operational taxonomic units match sequences for identification. We precisely identified all positive control samples this method further examined 74 wild-caught R. samples. With...
Macrophages play important roles in the innate and acquired immune responses against Leishmania parasites. Depending on subset activation status, macrophages may eliminate intracellular parasites; however, these host cells also can offer a safe environment for replication. In this sense, fate of parasite be influenced by phenotype infected macrophage, linked to subtype classically activated (M1) or alternatively (M2) macrophages. present study, M1 M2 macrophage subsets were analyzed...
This study evaluated the genetic diversity and potential drug resistance markers in Plasmodium vivax isolates from Panama, a country Mesoamerica, aiming to eliminate local malaria transmission. We analyzed 70 P. samples collected between 2004 2020 endemic regions Eastern Western as well imported cases. Four genes (pvcrt-o, pvmdr1, pvdhfr, pvdhps) were sequenced analyzed. Our findings reveal low populations indicating clonal expansion, while Panama exhibits higher diversity, influenced by...
Abstract: In this study we investigated the possible role of two CCR5 gene polymorphisms, CCR5Δ32 deletion and 59029 A→G promoter point mutation, in determining susceptibility to Trypanosoma cruzi infection as well development chagasic heart disease. These polymorphisms were assessed 85 seropositive (asymptomatic, n =53; cardiomyopathic, =32) 87 seronegative individuals. The extremely low frequency (0.009) allele our population did not allow us analyse its influence on T. infection. We found...
Insecticide thermal fogging (ITF) is a tool to control vector borne diseases. application success for has been associated with housing materials and architecture. Vector abundance correlated weather changes. Nevertheless, quality impacts on have unaccounted in most New World insecticide trials leishmaniasis vectors. We conducted 15 month trial that included two deltamethrin [6 mg a.i.m-2] based ITF interventions 12 of 24 monitored houses at Trinidad de Las Minas, hyperendemic cutaneous...
Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi infection, is a zoonosis of humans, wild and domestic mammals, including dogs. In Panama, the main T. vector Rhodnius pallescens, triatomine bug whose natural habitat royal palm, Attalea butyracea. this paper, we present results from three serological tests (immunochromatographic dipstick, indirect immunofluorescence ELISA) performed in 51 dogs 24 houses Trinidad de Las Minas, western Panama. We found that nine were seropositive (17.6% prevalence)....
American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL) is a neglected vector-borne zoonosis that persists despite increasing socio-economic development and urbanization in Panamá. Here, we investigate the association between environmental changes spatio-temporal ACL transmission Republic of Panamá (1980–2012). We employ macroecological approach, where patterns variation incidence at spatially coarse-grained scale health areas are studied considering factors linked to ecology transmission. specifically study...
The sylvatic triatomine Rhodnius pallescens is considered to be the most important and widespread vector of Trypanosoma cruzi rangeli in Panama. However, its behavior biological characteristics have only been partially investigated. Thus, achieve sustainable efficient control over Chagas disease Panama, a better understanding ecology biology R. essential. In this study we evaluated host feeding sources using dot-blot assay, trypanosome infection index by PCR analysis endemic area central It...
A major challenge of infectious disease elimination is the need to interrupt pathogen transmission across all vulnerable populations. Ethnic minorities are among key groups deserving special attention in initiatives, especially because their lifestyle might be intrinsically linked locations with high risk. There has been a renewed interest malaria elimination, which ignited quest understand factors necessary for sustainable highlighting diverse approaches address epidemiological...
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an endemic disease in the Republic of Panama, caused by Leishmania (Viannia) parasites, whose most common clinical manifestation presence ulcerated lesions on skin. These usually present a chronic inflammatory reaction, sometimes granulomatous, with lymphocytes, plasma cells and macrophages. This study describes histopathological characteristics found skin patients CL (V.) panamensis Panama. We analyzed 49 biopsy samples from suspicion CL, molecular tests (PCR...
This study aims to describe the epidemiological and entomological factors associated with a recent malaria outbreak that occurred in 2012 socially marginalized population from Guna Yala Comarca Panama. A descriptive observational was conducted by analysing demographic data all cases registered during Yala, Malaria intensity indicators were calculated period. Entomological evaluations performed monthly, October December 2012, three communities presented most intense transmission first...
The purpose of the study was to recognize social representation Guna indigenous population by identifying cultural elements related malaria, in order create an intercultural approach any health intervention control and prevent disease.This qualitative has anthropological focus that used participant observation, informal conversations, groups, interviews, in-depth interviews with key actors. Analyses included review, classification categorization interviews.Malaria within culture is harmony...
Background Malaria is endemic in Darién and an assessment of the different factors affecting its epidemiology crucial for development adequate strategies surveillance, prevention, disease control. The objective this study was to determine main characteristics epidemiological behavior malaria Darien region. Methods This research comprised a retrospective analysis incidence distribution region from 2015 2017. We evaluated indicators, distribution, (by age group sex), diagnostic methods,...