Publications

hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in panama: identification of novel hantaviruses and their likely reservoirs.	hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (hps), a severe respiratory disease with high mortality caused by rodent-borne hantaviruses, has previously been identified in the united states and canada as well as central and southern south america. in late 1999 and early 2000, an outbreak of acute illness compatible with hps was reported in los santos, panama, with the death of 3 of the 12 (25%) suspected cases. hantavirus-specific antibodies were detected in patient sera, and virus rna was detected by reverse ...	2000	11062031
high seroprevalence of hantavirus infection on the azuero peninsula of panama.	the first outbreak of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (hps) in central america was documented on the azuero peninsula of panama in late 1999 and 2000. reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction evidence implicated only choclo virus in symptomatic hps with a mortality rate of 20%, although two rodent-borne hantaviruses (choclo virus and calabazo virus) were identified in the peridomestic habitat. neighborhood serosurveys around case households found seroprevalence rates as high as 30%, the hig ...	2004	15211014
community ecology of small mammal populations in panamá following an outbreak of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.	in late 1999 and early 2000, an outbreak of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (hps) occurred in and around los santos, on the azuero peninsula of southwestern panamá. this hps episode, resulting in 22% case fatality, was linked to the costa rican pigmy rice rat, oligoryzomys fulvescens costaricensis, which harbored a then undescribed hantavirus, choclo virus. in addition, cherrie's cane rat, zygodontomys brevicauda cherriei, was identified as carrying a distinct hantavirus, calabazo virus with no kn ...	2004	15266755
choclo virus infection in the syrian golden hamster.	andes virus and choclo virus are agents of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. andes virus in hamsters almost always causes a disease that is pathologically indistinguishable from fatal hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. the purpose of this study was to assess the pathogenicity of choclo virus in hamsters. none of 18 hamsters infected with choclo virus exhibited any symptom of disease. no evidence of inflammation or edema was found in the lungs of the 10 animals killed on days 7, 9, 11, 13, and 16 post-i ...	2008	18385367
hantavirus infection and habitat associations among rodent populations in agroecosystems of panama: implications for human disease risk.	hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (hcps), which is caused by infection with choclo virus, is uncommon in panama, yet seropositivity among rural residents is as high as 60%. to clarify the environmental risk factors favoring rodent-to-human transmission, we tested serum from 3,067 rodents captured over a five-year period for antibodies against recombinant n protein of hantavirus by enzyme immunoassay and strip immunoblot. among 220 seropositive rodents, oligoryzomys fulvescens, the reservoir of ...	2009	19556568
convalescent pulmonary dysfunction following hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in panama and the united states.	the objective of this study was to document persistent pulmonary symptoms and pulmonary function abnormalities in adults surviving hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (hps). acute infection by most hantaviruses result in mortality rates of 25-35%, while in panama the mortality rate of 10% is contrasted by an unusually high incidence. in all types of hps, the viral prodrome, cardiopulmonary phase due to massive pulmonary capillary leak syndrome, and spontaneous diuresis are followed by a convalescent p ...	2010	20524006
confirmation of choclo virus as the cause of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome and high serum antibody prevalence in panama.	choclo virus (chov) was described in sigmodontine rodents, oligoryzomys fulvescens, and humans during an outbreak of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (hcps) in 1999-2000 in western panama. although hcps is rare, hantavirus-specific serum antibody prevalence among the general population is high suggesting that chov may cause many mild or asymptomatic infections. the goals of this study were to confirm the role of chov in hcps and in the frequently detected serum antibody and to establish the p ...	2010	20648614
the delicate pygmy rice rat (oligoryzomys delicatus) is the principal host of maporal virus (family bunyaviridae, genus hantavirus).	abstract choclo virus (chov) and maporal virus (mapv) are enzootic in panama and western venezuela, respectively. the results of previous studies suggested that the fulvous pygmy rice rat (oligoryzomys fulvescens) is the principal host of both viruses. the results of an analysis of nucleotide sequence data in this study indicated that the rodent associated with chov is the costa rican pygmy rice rat (oligoryzomys costaricensis) and that the rodent associated with mapv is the delicate pygmy rice ...	2011	21548760
hantavirus fever without pulmonary syndrome in panama.	in panama, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (hps) is caused by choclo virus, a species phylogenetically related to andes and maporal viruses. up to 60% of the population has been positive for specific serum antibody in community-based surveys, but mortality is very uncommon. in four western panama clinics, we tested individuals presenting with a severe febrile prodrome for acute hantavirus (hv) infection by immunoglobulin m enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcription polymerase chai ...	2013	23836565
a lethal disease model for new world hantaviruses using immunosuppressed syrian hamsters.	hantavirus, the hemorrhagic causative agent of two clinical diseases, is found worldwide with variation in severity, incidence and mortality. the most lethal hantaviruses are found on the american continent where the most prevalent viruses like andes virus and sin nombre virus are known to cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. new world hantavirus infection of immunocompetent hamsters results in an asymptomatic infection except for andes virus and maporal virus; the only hantaviruses causing a le ...	2017	29077702