Jean-Paul Carrera, MSc, MA
Junior Researcher, Gorgas Institute / DPhil Student University of Oxford
Epidemiology, ecology, and evolution of zoonotic viruses

My research focuses on understanding the transmission dynamics of zoonotic viruses in Latin America, with the aim of deciphering the factors that lead to their appearance and adaptation in new environments. To answer these questions, my research integrates clinical, virological, molecular, epidemiological, statistical, and mathematical approaches. My ultimate goal is to translate this research into recommendations for the generation of public health policies, decision making, prevention, and control of emerging diseases. I am also interested in real-time responses to outbreaks, epidemiological surveillance, virus discovery, and viral taxonomy.

Members of the Carrera group:
Susana Navarro ( Laboratory Research Assistant)
Josefrancisco Galué (Laboratory Research Assistant)
Zeus Capitan (Project coordinator)
Gary Sanchez (Research Assistant, Epidemiology)

Publications:

1. Carrera JP, et al, Clinical and serological findings of Madariaga and Venezuelan equine encephalitis viral infections: A follow-up study five years after an outbreak in Panama. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, ofaa359, https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofaa359, Published: 20 August 2020
2. Lima STS, Souza WM, Cavalcante JW, da Silva Candido D, Fumagalli MJ, Carrera JP, et al. Fatal outcome of chikungunya virus infection in Brazil. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Aug 7:ciaa1038. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1038. Online ahead of print.PMID: 32766829
3. de Souza WM*, Buss LF*, Candido DDS*, Carrera JP*, et al. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the COVID-19 epidemic in Brazil. Nat Hum Behav. 2020 Aug;4(8):856-865. doi: 10.1038/s41562-020-0928-4. Epub 2020 Jul 31.PMID: 32737472
4. Santos M, Collado Mariscal L, Henríquez B, Garzón J, González P, Carrera JP, et al, Implementation of bamboo and monkey-pot traps for the sampling cavity-breeding mosquitoes in Darién, Panama. .Acta Trop. 2020 May;205:105352. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105352. Epub 2020 Jan 22.PMID: 31981495
5. Pérez JG, Carrera JP, et al. Serologic Evidence of Zoonotic Alphaviruses in Humans from an Indigenous Community in the Peruvian Amazon. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2019 Dec;101(6):1212-1218. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.18-0850.PMID: 31571566
6. Díaz Y, Chen-Germán M, Quiroz E, Carrera JP, et al. Molecular Epidemiology of Dengue in Panama: 25 Years of Circulation. Viruses. 2019 Aug 20;11(8):764. doi: 10.3390/v11080764.PMID: 31434193 
7. Carrera JP, et al. Human and Equine Infection with Alphaviruses and Flaviviruses in Panamá during 2010: A Cross-Sectional Study of Household Contacts during an Encephalitis Outbreak.Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2018 Jun;98(6):1798-1804. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.17-0679. Epub 2018 May 3.PMID: 29737271 
8. Soto-Garita C, Carrera JP, López-Vergès S, Corrales-Aguilar E, Advances in Clinical Diagnosis and Management of Chikungunya Virus Infection, Curr Treat Opt In Di, 2018 Sep. 10 (3) 397-409
9. Díaz Y, Cisneros J, Guzmán H, Cordoba P, Carrera JP, et al. The reintroduction of DENV-2 in 2011 in Panama and subsequent outbreak characteristic. Acta Trop. 2018 Jan;177:58-65. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.09.031.Epub 2017 Oct 3.PMID: 28986247 
10. Torres R, Samudio R, Carrera JP, et al. Enzootic mosquito vector species at equine encephalitis transmission foci in the República de Panamá. PLoS One. 2017 Sep 22;12(9):e0185491. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185491. eCollection 2017.PMID: 28937995 
11. Rogers MB, Gulino KM, Tesh RB, Cui L, Fitch A, Unnasch TR, Popov VL, Travassos da Rosa APA, Guzman H, Carrera JP, et al. Characterization of five unclassified orthobunyaviruses (Bunyaviridae) from Africa and the Americas.J Gen Virol. 2017 Sep;98(9):2258-2266. doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.000899.PMID: 28885138 
12. Gundacker ND*, Carrera JP*, et al. Clinical Manifestations of Punta Toro Virus Species Complex Infections, Panama, 2009. Emerg Infect Dis. 2017 May;23(5):872-874. doi: 10.3201/eid2305.161925.PMID: 28418305 
13. Carrera JP, et al. Unusual pattern of chikungunya virus epidemic in the Americas, the Panamanian experience.PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2017 Feb 21;11(2):e0005338. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005338. eCollection 2017 Feb.PMID: 28222127 
14. Vittor AY, Armien B, Gonzalez P, Carrera JP, et al, Epidemiology of Emergent Madariaga Encephalitis in a Region with Endemic Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis: Initial Host Studies and Human Cross-Sectional Study in Darien, Panama. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2016 Apr 21;10(4):e0004554. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004554. eCollection 2016 Apr.PMID: 27101567 
15. Carrera JP, et al. Mercadeo Virus: A Novel Mosquito-Specific Flavivirus from Panama. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2015 Nov;93(5):1014-9. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0117. Epub 2015 Aug 24.PMID: 26304915 
16. Moreno B, Abrego L, Carrera JP, et al, Detection of human bocavirus type 1 infection in Panamanian children with respiratory illness. Med Virol. 2016 Mar;88(3):389-94. doi: 10.1002/jmv.24346. Epub 2015 Oct 19.PMID: 26252655
17. Palacios G, Wiley MR, Travassos da Rosa APA, Guzman H, Quiroz E, Savji N, Carrera JP, et al. Characterization of the Punta Toro species complex (genus Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae). J Gen Virol. 2015 Aug;96(8):2079-2085. doi: 10.1099/vir.0.000170. Epub 2015 May 1.PMID: 25934793 
18. Luciani K, Abadía I, Martínez-Torres AO, Cisneros J, Guerra I, García M, Estripeaut D, Carrera JP. Madariaga virus infection associated with a case of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2015 Jun;92(6):1130-2. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0845. Epub 2015 Apr 13.PMID: 25870420 
19. Díaz Y*, Carrera JP*, et al. Chikungunya virus infection: first detection of imported and autochthonous cases in Panama. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2015 Mar;92(3):482-5. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0404. Epub 2015 Jan 19.PMID: 25601996 
20. Carrera JP, Eastern equine encephalitis in Latin America.N Engl J Med. 2013 Aug 22;369(8):732-44. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1212628.PMID: 23964935