• An update on the detection and treatment of Rickettsia felis 

      Hun Opfer, Ruchilia Laya; Troyo Rodríguez, Adriana (2012-05-22)
      Rickettsia felis was described as a human pathogen almost two decades ago, and human infection is currently reported in 18 countries in all continents. The distribution of this species is worldwide, determined by the ...
    • Dengue Virus Infection of Primary Human Smooth Muscle Cells 

      Arias Arias, Jorge Luis; Vega Aguilar, Francisco; Corrales Aguilar, Eugenia; Hun Opfer, Ruchilia Laya; Loría Masis, Gilbert David; Mora Rodríguez, Rodrigo Antonio (2018-11-05)
      Dengue virus (DENV) infection of humans is presently the most important arthropod-borne viral global threat, for which no suitable or reliable animal model exists. Reports addressing the effect of DENV on vascular components ...
    • Detection of an undescribed Rickettsia sp. in Ixodes boliviensis from Costa Rica 

      Troyo Rodríguez, Adriana; Moreira Soto, Andrés; Carranza, Marco V.; Calderón Arguedas, Ólger; Hun Opfer, Ruchilia Laya; Taylor Castillo, Mayra Lizeth (2014)
      Ixodes boliviensis is a tick of carnivores that is common on domestic dogs. The only Rickettsia that has been detected previously in this species is 'Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae'. We report the detection of an undescribed ...
    • Detection of rickettsiae in fleas and ticks from areas of Costa Rica with history of spotted fever group rickettsioses 

      Troyo Rodríguez, Adriana; Moreira Soto, Rolando Daniel; Calderón Arguedas, Ólger; Mata Somarribas, Carlos; Ortiz Tello, Jusara; Barbieri, Amália R. M.; Avendaño López, Adrián; Vargas Castro, Luis Esteban; Labruna, Marcelo B.; Hun Opfer, Ruchilia Laya; Taylor Castillo, Mayra Lizeth (2016-10)
      Outbreaks of spotted fevers have been reported in Costa Rica since the 1950s, although vectors responsible for transmission to humans have not been directly identified. In this study, species of Rickettsia were detected ...
    • Exposure of dogs to spotted fever group rickettsiae in urban sites associated with human rickettsioses in Costa Rica 

      Moreira Soto, Andrés; Carranza, Marco V.; Taylor Castillo, Mayra Lizeth; Calderón Arguedas, Ólger; Hun Opfer, Ruchilia Laya; Troyo Rodríguez, Adriana (2016-07)
      The zoonotic transmission cycles of Rickettsia rickettsii and other spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae in Latin America have usually been associated with rural or sylvatic environments, although domestic dogs can be ...
    • First Report of the Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Rickettsia amblyommii and Rickettsia felis in Central America 

      Hun Opfer, Ruchilia Laya; Troyo Rodríguez, Adriana; Taylor Castillo, Mayra Lizeth; Barbieri, Amália R. M.; Labruna, Marcelo B. (2011-10-05)
      During 2010, 15 adult ticks, identified as Amblyomma cajennense, were collected from horses in Cahuita and Turrialba districts, whereas 7 fleas, identified as Ctenocephalides felis, were collected from a dog in San Jose ...
    • Pathogenic potential of a Costa Rican strain of ‘Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii’ in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) and protective immunity against Rickettsia rickettsii 

      Rivas Mejías, Juan José; Moreira Soto, Andrés; Alvarado Barboza, Gilberth; Taylor Castillo, Mayra Lizeth; Calderón Arguedas, Ólger; Hun Opfer, Ruchilia Laya; Corrales Aguilar, Eugenia; Morales Acuña, Juan Alberto; Troyo Rodríguez, Adriana (2015-07)
      ‘Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii’ is a spotted fever group rickettsia that is not considered pathogenic, although there is serologic evidence of possible infection in animals and humans. The aim of this study was to ...
    • Rickettsia felis in Ctenocephalides felis from Guatemala and Costa Rica 

      Troyo Rodríguez, Adriana; Álvarez, Danilo; Taylor Castillo, Mayra Lizeth; Abdalla, Gabriela; Calderón Arguedas, Ólger; Zambrano, María L.; Dasch, Gregory A.; Lindblade, Kim; Hun Opfer, Ruchilia Laya; Eremeeva, Marina E.; Estévez, Alejandra (2012)
      Rickettsia felis is an emerging human pathogen associated primarily with the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis.In this study, we investigated the presence of Rickettsia felis in C. felis from Guatemala and Costa Rica. ...