Publications by authors named "Maria Liz Gamarra"
Article Synopsis
- - Paraguay is facing a significant monkeypox outbreak that is challenging its healthcare system, highlighting the need for better understanding and management of the virus.
- - A collaboration was formed with the Central Public Health Laboratory of Asunción and the Pan-American Health Organization to analyze the monkeypox virus strains, leading to the first 30 complete genome sequences from Paraguay, all identified as lineage IIb.
- - The research indicates that the initial introduction of monkeypox to Paraguay in early 2022 came from Brazil, with subsequent spread due to multiple independent introductions, underscoring the importance of enhanced surveillance at international borders to prevent future outbreaks.
Dengue virus (DENV) has been a major public health concern in Paraguay, with frequent outbreaks occurring since early 1988. Although control measures have been implemented, dengue remains a significant health threat in the country, and continued efforts are required for prevention and control. In response to that, in collaboration with the Central Public Health Laboratory in Asunción, we conducted a portable whole-genome sequencing and phylodynamic analysis to investigate DENV viral strains circulating in Paraguay over the past epidemics.
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- - The Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) epidemic in the Americas is a major public health issue, with over 120,000 reported cases and 51 fatalities in 2023, predominantly in Paraguay.
- - Researchers employed various genomic, phylodynamic, and epidemiological methods to study the epidemic and understand its progression.
- - The findings contribute to the broader understanding of how CHIKV spreads and can help in managing future outbreaks.
Article Synopsis
- Brazil has experienced high COVID-19 cases and deaths, making Latin America a major pandemic epicenter, with early sustained virus transmission and ongoing gaps in understanding.
- Researchers analyzed over 17,000 near-complete SARS-CoV-2 genomes from across Brazil and Paraguay, finding multiple viral lineages predominantly imported from Europe before local transmission clusters emerged after November 2020.
- Effective genomic surveillance has been crucial in tracking the real-time spread of significant variants, such as Gamma (P.1) and Zeta (P.2), and understanding cross-border virus movement into Paraguay.
Article Synopsis
- - Brazil became a major COVID-19 epicenter in Latin America by May 2021, experiencing high transmission rates and deaths, but gaps remain in understanding how the virus spreads nationally.
- - The study analyzes nearly complete SARS-CoV-2 genomes from Brazil and Paraguay, revealing that the initial wave was marked by multiple imported viral lineages mainly from Europe, leading to significant local transmission clusters.
- - As the pandemic progressed without effective restrictions, Brazil saw the emergence and spread of concerning variants like Gamma and Zeta, highlighting the need for extensive genomic surveillance in South America for better pandemic management and public health strategies.
Paraguay has been severely affected by emergent Zika and chikungunya viruses, and dengue virus is endemic. To learn more about the origins of genetic diversity and epidemiologic history of these viruses in Paraguay, we deployed portable sequencing technologies to strengthen genomic surveillance and determine the evolutionary and epidemic history of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses). Samples stored at the Paraguay National Central Laboratory were sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis.
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