Dispersion patterns of SARS-CoV-2 variants Gamma, Lambda and Mu in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) regions were an important epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic and SARS-CoV-2 evolution. Through the COVID-19 Genomic Surveillance Regional Network (COVIGEN), LAC countries produced an important number of genomic sequencing data that made possible an enhanced SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance capacity in the Americas, paving the way for characterization of emerging variants and helping to guide the public health response. In this study we analyzed approximately 300,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences generated between February 2020 and March 2022 by multiple genomic surveillance efforts in LAC and reconstructed the diffusion patterns of the main variants of concern (VOCs) and of interest (VOIs) possibly originated in the Region.

HIV-1 Low-Frequency Variants Identified in Antiretroviral-Naïve Subjects with Virologic Failure after 12 Months of Follow-Up in Panama.

Low-frequency mutations associated with drug resistance have been related to virologic failure in subjects with no history of pre-treatment and recent HIV diagnosis. In total, 78 antiretroviral treatment (ART)-naïve subjects with a recent HIV diagnosis were selected and followed by CD4+ T lymphocytes and viral load tests to detect virologic failure. We sequenced the basal samples retrospectively using next-generation sequencing (NGS), looking for low-frequency mutations that had not been detected before using the Sanger sequencing method (SSM) and describing the response to ART.

Complete Genome Sequence of Enterobacter Phage vB_EcRAM-01, a New against the Enterobacter cloacae Complex.

Here, we present the complete genome sequence of Enterobacter phage vB_EcRAM-01, isolated from waters of the Río Abajo river, in Panama City, Panama. This phage has deployed lytic activity against the Enterobacter cloacae complex, a pathogen of clinical importance in intensive care units. It belongs to the family and has a double-stranded DNA genome that is 178,477 bp long and contains 293 open reading frames (ORFs).

Case Report: First Confirmed Case of Coinfection of SARS-CoV-2 With .

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a major international public health concern. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on March 11, 2020. In Panama, the first SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed on March 9, 2020, and the first fatal case associated to COVID-19 was reported on March 10.

SARS-CoV-2 reinfection with a virus harboring mutation in the Spike and the Nucleocapsid proteins in Panama.

We report a case of reinfection by SARS-CoV-2 with the second virus harboring amino acid changes in the Spike protein (141-143del, D215A, ins215AGY, L452R, D614G), orf1a, helicase, orf3a, and Nucleocapside. The virus associated with the reinfection, from an endemic lineage containing the S:L452R immune escape mutation, was circulating in Panama at the time.

Diversity of Rickettsia in ticks collected from wild animals in Panama.

This paper presents new data about Rickettsia species detected in ticks collected from wild animals, using 16S rRNA, gltA and ompA. Rickettsia DNA was found in 66 of 101 ticks. Using EZ BioCloud libraries were produced reads that identified Rickettsia aeschlimannii, and Illumina BaseSpace produced reads of Rickettsia rickettsii group, Rickettsia bellii group, and unclassified Rickettsia.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 detected in placentas of 2 coronavirus disease 2019-positive asymptomatic pregnant women-case report.

There is limited evidence regarding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in the placenta of pregnant women who tested positive, and if this could be a route for vertical transmission of the virus in utero. We present the cases of 2 pregnant women in their third trimester who were admitted for delivery by cesarean delivery and who, through universal screening, tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019. The maternal and fetal sides of the placenta were sectioned from both patients for viral analysis.

Early Transmission Dynamics, Spread, and Genomic Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 in Panama.

We report an epidemiologic analysis of 4,210 cases of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and genetic analysis of 313 new near-complete virus genomes in Panama during March 9-April 16, 2020. Although containment measures reduced R and R, they did not interrupt virus spread in the country.

Evolution of late presentation to care and advanced HIV in newly HIV diagnosed subjects in the Republic of Panama: 2012-2017.

Most of the information on clinical factors related to HIV infection is focused on key populations and young people. Therefore, there is little information on clinical factors related to HIV infection in older persons (>45 years old). In this study, data on CD4 lymphocyte counts were analyzed on adults who are linked to care and have their first CD4 cell count done from different regions of the Republic of Panama from 2012 to 2017.

HIV-1 Antiretroviral Drug Resistance Mutations in Treatment Naïve and Experienced Panamanian Subjects: Impact on National Use of EFV-Based Schemes.

The use of antiretroviral therapy in HIV infected subjects prevents AIDS-related illness and delayed occurrence of death. In Panama, rollout of ART started in 1999 and national coverage has reached 62.8% since then.

Phylogenetic Analysis of Hepatitis B Virus Genotypes Circulating in Different Risk Groups of Panama, Evidence of the Introduction of Genotype A2 in the Country.

The Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) can cause acute or chronic infection it is also associated with the development of liver cancer, thousands of new infections occur on a yearly basis, and many of these cases are located in certain areas of the Caribbean and Latin America. In these areas, the HBV prevalence is still high which makes this virus a serious public health concern to the entire region. Studies performed in Panama suggest a complex pattern in the distribution of HBV among the country's different risk groups.

High diversity of hepatitis B virus genotypes in Panamanian blood donors: a molecular analysis of new variants.

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is an infectious agent that causes more than half of the cases of liver disease and cancer in the world. Globally there are around 250 million people chronically infected with this virus. Despite 16% of the cases of liver disease in Central America are caused by HBV, the information regarding its genetic diversity, genotypes and circulation is scarce.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype B epidemic in Panama is mainly driven by dissemination of country-specific clades.

The Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) subtype B is the most predominant clade in Central America; but information about the evolutionary history of this virus in this geographic region is scarce. In this study, we reconstructed the spatiotemporal and population dynamics of the HIV-1 subtype B epidemic in Panama. A total of 761 HIV-1 subtype B pol sequences obtained in Panama between 2004 and 2013 were combined with subtype B pol sequences from the Americas and Europe.

Molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 in Panama: origin of non-B subtypes in samples collected from 2007 to 2013.

Phylogenetic studies have suggested that the HIV-1 epidemic in the Americas is mainly dominated by HIV subtype B. However, countries of South America and the Caribbean have recently reported changes in their circulating HIV-1 genetic profiles. The aim of this study was to characterize the molecular profile of the HIV-1 epidemic in Panama by the analysis of 655 polymerase gene (pol) sequences that were obtained from HIV-infected Panamanians diagnosed between 1987 and 2013.

Molecular characterisation of hepatitis B virus in the resident Chinese population in Panama City.

Despite the effectiveness of current hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccines, it is estimated that 350 million individuals suffer from chronic HBV infection and more than 50% of these affected individuals live on the Asian continent. Panama is a country with a great diversity of foreign groups; the Chinese community is a large example of this phenomenon. There is an urgent need to perform studies that evaluate the prevalence and the genetic diversity of HBV in this community.

Molecular diagnosis of echovirus 30 as the etiological agent in an outbreak of aseptic meningitis in Panama: May-June 2008.

Introduction: Aseptic meningitis outbreaks are commonly caused by viral pathogens with enterovirus a common etiological agent. Between May and June of 2008, an outbreak of 173 cases of aseptic meningitis occurred in the Chiriqui Province of Panama. Molecular techniques were used to identify the etiological agent.

HIV transmitted drug resistance in adult and pediatric populations in Panama.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of transmitted drug-resistant HIV among adults in Panama by using a modified World Health Organization Threshold Survey (WHO-TS) and to investigate rates of initial resistance among HIV-positive infants in Panama.

Methods: At the Gorgas Memorial Institute, 47 HIV-positive adults were genotyped for mutations associated with transmitted drug resistance (TDR) in the reverse transcriptase and protease genes of HIV-1, according to WHO-TS guidelines, modified to include patients ≤ 26 years old. Prevalence rates for drug-resistance mutations against three classes of antiretroviral drugs-nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), and protease inhibitors-were calculated as low (< 5.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Panama: a cluster description.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a tick-borne infection caused by Rickettsia rickettsii. We report a cluster of fatal cases of RMSF in 2007 in Panama, involving a pregnant woman and two children from the same family.  The woman presented with a fever followed by respiratory distress, maculopapular rash, and an eschar at the site from which a tick had been removed.