Publications by authors named "J Pascale"
Background: The prevalence of HIV in Panama is estimated to be 1.0%; only 71% of individuals on antiretroviral treatment (ART) were virally suppressed in 2022. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of suboptimal adherence (≥1 missed doses in previous four weeks) and limited retention in HIV care (≥1 missed HIV care appointments in previous 12 months) among adults (aged ≥18 years) who attended the most populous urban ART Clinic in Panama City.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCharacterizing the epidemiology of circulating respiratory pathogens during the COVID-19 pandemic could clarify the burden of acute respiratory infections and monitor outbreaks of public health and military relevance. The US Department of Defense supported 2 regions for influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory infections surveillance, one in the Middle East through US Naval Medical Research Unit EURAFCENT, and another in Latin America through US Naval Medical Research Unit SOUTH. During 2020‒2022, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, we collected a total of 16,146 nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab samples from sentinel sites in Jordan (n = 11,305) and Latin America (n = 4,841).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDetection of dengue virus serotype 4 in Panama after 23 years without circulation.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol
October 2024
Article Synopsis
- - Panama has experienced endemic Dengue virus (DENV) transmission since 1993, with all four serotypes present but no local DENV-4 cases reported since 2000, despite its ongoing circulation in nearby countries.
- - In the last four months of 2023, DENV-4 was detected in Panama, coinciding with a rise in dengue cases during the typically dry season, which is unusual since outbreaks are usually seen during the rainy season.
- - Analysis of complete DENV-4 genomes revealed that the recent cases were due to genotype IIb, the same as what was seen 23 years ago, showing the need for ongoing surveillance of dengue serotypes and genotypes to catch emerging variants early.
Article Synopsis
- Syphilis is a growing public health problem worldwide, particularly among people living with HIV (PLHIV), and there's limited data on its prevalence in Panama.
- A study conducted with 378 adults attending an antiretroviral clinic found a 32.3% overall prevalence of syphilis antibodies, with significant differences between genders.
- High-titer active syphilis was identified in 24.6% of those with positive antibodies, and younger age and homosexual identity were linked to higher rates of active syphilis.
The Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé (CNB), home to >200,000 Indigenous people, is one of the poorest regions in Panama. We describe transactional sex (TS) behaviours, normative beliefs and factors associated with TS among Indigenous adolescents(14-19years) in the CNB. We conducted a mixed-methods study in the CNB between January and November 2018, which included a qualitative study with participant observation and semi-structured interviews that focused on descriptive norms related to TS; and a cross-sectional study among public-school-going adolescents using self-administered questionnaire to report sexual behaviour and injunctive norms related to TS.
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