Viral genome-based Zika virus transmission dynamics in a pediatric cohort during the 2016 Nicaragua epidemic

UC BERKELEY AUTHORS: Raquel A Binder, Fausto Bustos Carrillo, Eva Harris DATE OF PUBLICATION: October 2021 REGION: Nicaragua DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103596 SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Nicaragua experienced a large Zika epidemic in 2016, with up to 50% of the population in Managua infected. With the domesticated Aedes aegypti mosquito as its vector, it is widely assumed that Zika virus transmission occurs

Correction to: Slum Health: Arresting COVID-19 and Improving Well-Being in Urban Informal Settlements

UC BERKELEY AUTHORS: Jason Corburn, Lee Riley DATE OF PUBLICATION: February 2021 REGION: Global South (Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Pacific Islands, and the developing countries in Asia) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-020-00491-1 SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: The informal settlements of the Global South are the least prepared for the pandemic of COVID-19 since basic needs such as water, toilets,

Pre-existing T-cell immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in unexposed healthy controls in Ecuador, as detected with a COVID-19 Interferon-Gamma Release Assay

UC BERKELEY AUTHORS: Josefina Coloma DATE OF PUBLICATION: February 2021 REGION: Ecuador DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2021.02.034 SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Studies of T-cell immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 are important in understanding the immune status of individuals or populations. Here, we use a simple, cheap and rapid whole blood stimulation assay – an Interferon-Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) – to study T-cell

Developmental outcomes in children exposed to Zika virus in utero from a Brazilian urban slum cohort study

UC BERKELEY AUTHORS: Magelda Montoya, Athena Chin, Eva Harris DATE OF PUBLICATION: February 2021 REGION: South America DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009162 SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: The prevalence of developmental alterations associated with in-utero Zika virus (ZIKV) exposure in children is not well understood. Furthermore, estimation of the Population Attributable Fraction (PAF) of developmental alterations attributed to ZIKV has not been

Ambient fine particulate matter in Latin American cities: Levels, population exposure, and associated urban factors

UC BERKELEY AUTHORS: Iryna Dronova, Daniel Rodriguez DATE OF PUBLICATION: January 2021 REGION: Latin America DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145035 SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) is a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality. Yet few studies have examined patterns of population exposure and investigated the predictors of PM2.5 across the rapidly growing cities in lower- and middle-income

Assessing Upstream Determinants of Antibiotic Use in Small-Scale Food Animal Production through a Simulated Client Method

UC BERKELEY AUTHORS: Zachary Butzin-Dozier, Jay Graham DATE OF PUBLICATION: December 2020 REGION: South America DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10010002 SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Small-scale food animal production has been celebrated as a means of economic mobility and improved food security but the use of veterinary antibiotics among these producers may be contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance in animals

Recent advances in understanding the adaptive immune response to Zika virus and the effect of previous flavivirus exposure.

UC BERKELEY AUTHOR: Eva Harris DATE OF PUBLICATION: November 2018 REGION: South America REFERENCE: Andrade DV, Harris E. SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Zika virus (ZIKV) caused explosive epidemics across the Americas, starting in Brazil in 2015, and has been associated with severe manifestations such as microcephaly in babies born to infected mothers and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. As the

Monitoring and Modeling of Household Air Quality Related to Use of Different Cookfuels in Paraguay

UC BERKELEY AUTHOR: Ajay Pillarisetti, MT Hernandez, John Balmes, Kirk Smith DATE OF PUBLICATION: October 2018 REGION: Paraguay REFERENCE: Tagle M, Pillarisetti A, Hernandez MT, Troncoso K, Soares A, Torres R, Galeano A, Oyola P, Balmes J, Smith KR. Indoor Air. 2018 Oct 19. doi: 10.1111/ina.12513. SUMMARY/ABSTRACT:In Paraguay, 49% of the population depends on biomass (wood and charcoal) for

Dietary quality and household food insecurity among Mexican children and adolescents

UC BERKELEY AUTHOR: Luis A. Rodriguez DATE OF PUBLICATION: November 2016 REGION: Mexico REFERENCE: Rodríguez LA, Mundo-Rosas V, Méndez-Gómez-Humarán I, Pérez-Escamilla R, Shamah-Levy T. Dietary quality and household food insecurity among Mexican children and adolescents. Maternal & Child Nutrition. 2016. doi:10.1111/mcn.12372. SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Seventy percent of Mexican households experience some level of food insecurity (FI). Studies have shown positive

Understanding the barriers to successful adoption and use of a mobile health information system in a community health center in São Paulo, Brazil: a cohort study

UC BERKELEY AUTHOR: Lee Riley DATE OF PUBLICATION: November 2016 REGION: San Paulo, Brazil REFERENCE: Rajan JV, Moura J, Gourley G, et al. Understanding the barriers to successful adoption and use of a mobile health information system in a community health center in São Paulo, Brazil: a cohort study. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making. 2016;16:146. doi:10.1186/s12911-016-0385-1. SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Mobile

Understanding the barriers to successful adoption and use of a mobile health information system in a community health center in São Paulo, Brazil: a cohort study

UC BERKELEY AUTHOR: Lee W. Riley DATE OF PUBLICATION: November 2016 REGION: Brazil, South America REFERENCE: Rajan J, Moura J, Gourley G et al. Understanding the barriers to successful adoption and use of a mobile health information system in a community health center in São Paulo, Brazil: a cohort study. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making. 2016;16(1). doi:10.1186/s12911-016-0385-1.

Homotypic Dengue Virus Reinfections in Nicaraguan Children

UC BERKELEY AUTHOR: Eva Harris, Magdela Montoya, Chunling Wang DATE OF PUBLICATION: October 2016 REGION: Nicaragua REFERENCE: Waggoner J, Balmaseda A, Gresh L et al. Homotypic Dengue Virus Reinfections in Nicaraguan Children. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2016;214(7):986-993. doi:10.1093/infdis/jiw099. SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Infection with any of the 4 related dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1-4) is thought to result in lifelong immunity to