Federico Costa, PhD
Associate Professor Adjunct of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases)Cards
About
Research
Overview
- Disease determinants for urban leptospirosis
- Natural history of urban leptospirosis
- Eco-epidemiology of urban leptospirosis
- Optimal control strategies for rodent-borne zoonoses
- Burden of Diseases estimation
Medical Research Interests
Brazil; Dengue Virus; Epidemiology; Leptospirosis; Orthohantavirus
Public Health Interests
Global Health; Health Equity, Disparities, Social Determinants and Justice; Mosquito-borne Diseases; Zoonotic Diseases
Publications
2025
Increasing rat numbers in cities are linked to climate warming, urbanization, and human population
Richardson J, McCoy E, Parlavecchio N, Szykowny R, Beech-Brown E, Buijs J, Buckley J, Corrigan R, Costa F, DeLaney R, Denny R, Helms L, Lee W, Murray M, Riegel C, Souza F, Ulrich J, Why A, Kiyokawa Y. Increasing rat numbers in cities are linked to climate warming, urbanization, and human population. Science Advances 2025, 11: eads6782. PMID: 39888984, PMCID: PMC11784805, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ads6782.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsRat numbersHuman populationSeasonal activity periodFuture management strategiesMitigation needsFood availabilityFuture vulnerabilityLong-term trendsPublic complaintsBiological impactClimate warmingEnvironmental changesWarmer temperaturesCommensal pestsManagement strategiesCityRat populationsWashington D.C.Estimate trendsUrbanizationNew YorkUrban ratsActive periodIncreasing trendWarming
2024
Socio-environmental factors associated with small mammal assemblage and Leptospira prevalence in Suburban Areas of Terengganu, Malaysia
Zamri M, Shafie N, Ali M, Awoniyi A, Argibay H, Costa F. Socio-environmental factors associated with small mammal assemblage and Leptospira prevalence in Suburban Areas of Terengganu, Malaysia. Asian Pacific Journal Of Tropical Medicine 2024, 17: 400-407. DOI: 10.4103/apjtm.apjtm_931_23.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSmall mammal assemblagesMammal assemblagesSmall mammalsStudy sitesAssemblage of small mammalsSmall mammal occurrenceGeneralized linear modelSmall mammal communitiesMammal occurrenceMammal communitiesTrap nightsTrapping pointsLive trapsSocio-environmental variablesCaptured animalsRattus exulansSampling pointsLeptospira prevalenceRattus rattusTrapping periodAnimal accessEnvironmental surveysAssemblagesPCR detectionSuburban areasDisentangling the influence of reservoir abundance and pathogen shedding on zoonotic spillover of the Leptospira agent in urban informal settlements
Soni N, Eyre M, Souza F, Diggle P, Ko A, Begon M, Pickup R, Childs J, Khalil H, Carvalho-Pereira T, Pertile A, Carvalho M, de Oliveira D, Nery N, Giorgi E, Costa F. Disentangling the influence of reservoir abundance and pathogen shedding on zoonotic spillover of the Leptospira agent in urban informal settlements. Frontiers In Public Health 2024, 12: 1447592. PMID: 39360250, PMCID: PMC11445007, DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1447592.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRat abundanceReservoir abundanceAbundance of ratsEnvironmentally transmitted diseasesVegetation land coverInfection riskSexually mature ratsHuman infection riskLive trapsUrban informal settlementsZoonotic spilloverLand coverSpatial variationHydrological factorsValley bottomTrack plateAbundanceHuman riskShedding rateMature ratsEco-epidemiological studiesLeptospira infectionSpillover transmissionSpatial distributionInformal settlementsAlternative domestic rodent pest management approaches to address the hazardous use of metal phosphides in low- and middle-income countries
Stuart A, Jacob J, Awoniyi A, Costa F, Bosma L, Meheretu Y, Htwe N, Williamson S, Eddleston M, Dalecky A, Willis S. Alternative domestic rodent pest management approaches to address the hazardous use of metal phosphides in low- and middle-income countries. Journal Of Pest Science 2024, 98: 89-111. DOI: 10.1007/s10340-024-01825-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHuman antibodies in Mexico and Brazil neutralizing tick-borne flaviviruses
Cervantes Rincón T, Kapoor T, Keeffe J, Simonelli L, Hoffmann H, Agudelo M, Jurado A, Peace A, Lee Y, Gazumyan A, Guidetti F, Cantergiani J, Cena B, Bianchini F, Tamagnini E, Moro S, Svoboda P, Costa F, Reis M, Ko A, Fallon B, Avila-Rios S, Reyes-Téran G, Rice C, Nussenzweig M, Bjorkman P, Ruzek D, Varani L, MacDonald M, Robbiani D. Human antibodies in Mexico and Brazil neutralizing tick-borne flaviviruses. Cell Reports 2024, 43: 114298. PMID: 38819991, PMCID: PMC11832053, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114298.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPowassan virusEnvelope domain IIIYellow fever virusZika virusFever virusSerological neutralizing activityTemperate regionsDengue virusTicksTropical areasInfect humansLineage IMosquito-borne flavivirusNeutralizing activityHuman antibodiesVirusNeurological illnessBrazilFlavivirusesP002P003Human diseasesQuality of life among residents of informal urban settlements during the COVID-19 pandemic in Salvador, Brazil
Mogaji H, Nery N, Argibay H, Cruz J, Carneiro I, Lustosa R, Ko A, Costa F, Begon M, Khalil H. Quality of life among residents of informal urban settlements during the COVID-19 pandemic in Salvador, Brazil. BMJ Public Health 2024, 2: e000572. PMID: 40018243, PMCID: PMC11812815, DOI: 10.1136/bmjph-2023-000572.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHealth-related quality of lifePhysical health scoresHealth scoresQuality of lifeHealth-related quality of life of residentsCross-sectional analysis of dataMental health scoresHealth-related qualityResults Most participantsMixed-effects regression modelsCross-sectional analysisCOVID-19 pandemicOlder age groupsPhysical healthOlder adultsDisadvantaged populationsOlder participantsMental challengesFood insecuritySlum communitiesMarginalised populationsCity of SalvadorAged 5Analysis of dataCreation of economic opportunitiesFactors associated with differential seropositivity to Leptospira interrogans and Leptospira kirschneri in a high transmission urban setting for leptospirosis in Brazil
de Oliveira D, Khalil H, Palma F, Santana R, Nery N, Quintero-Vélez J, Zeppelini C, do Sacramento G, Cruz J, Lustosa R, Ferreira I, Carvalho-Pereira T, Diggle P, Wunder E, Ko A, Lopez Y, Begon M, Reis M, Costa F. Factors associated with differential seropositivity to Leptospira interrogans and Leptospira kirschneri in a high transmission urban setting for leptospirosis in Brazil. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2024, 18: e0011292. PMID: 38758957, PMCID: PMC11139309, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011292.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchYears of ageResidents of low-income areasMultinomial logistic regression modelWork-related exposureEpidemiological patternsLow-income areasLogistic regression modelsInformal urban communitiesFactors associated with seropositivityCity of SalvadorPathogenic species of bacteriaUrban settingsUrban communitiesHealth and place perceptions: an educative experience combining poetry and One Health perspective in teenagers from urban vulnerable communities of Brazil
Fitte B, Lustosa R, Melhado P, Costa F. Health and place perceptions: an educative experience combining poetry and One Health perspective in teenagers from urban vulnerable communities of Brazil. Journal Of Poetry Therapy 2024, 38: 58-67. DOI: 10.1080/08893675.2024.2347856.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConstruindo comunidades saudáveis
ALZATE LÓPEZ Y, ALIAGA M, ALMEIDA FIGUERÊDO L, LIMA DUARTE COUTINHO A, DE OLIVEIRA CARNEIRO I, ARGIBAY H, KHALIL H, COSTA F, LUSTOSA R, MOGAJI H. Construindo comunidades saudáveis. 2024, 89-108. DOI: 10.17184/eac.7947.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCartographic Resources for Equitable University–Community Interaction in Slum Areas
Virgens M, Brito P, Lustosa R, Pedrassoli J, Ulbrich P, de Albuquerque J, Ferreira M, Severo F, da S. Figueiredo A, Fantin M, Khalil H, Costa F. Cartographic Resources for Equitable University–Community Interaction in Slum Areas. Urban Science 2024, 8: 20. DOI: 10.3390/urbansci8010020.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
News
News
- August 16, 2019
Findings Shed New Light On Why Zika Causes Birth Defects In Some Pregnancies
- June 14, 2019
Researchers at Yale School of Public Health, GHLI Receive Funding from Gates Foundation for Global Projects
- February 06, 2019
At Epicenter of Zika Outbreak, Dengue Immunity Provided Protection
- May 23, 2017
Cellular, Molecular Mechanisms of Zika Revealed