Federico Costa, PhD
Associate Professor Adjunct of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases)DownloadHi-Res Photo
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Associate Professor Adjunct of Epidemiology, Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases
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Associate Professor Adjunct of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases)
Associate Professor Adjunct of Epidemiology, Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases
Biography
Professor Federico Costa is interested in eco-epidemiological drivers of zoonotic diseases in urban environments using intensive field and laboratory data. Current areas of interest include mechanisms involved in the transmission of leptospirosis and the ecological and sociological factors that affect the likelihood of human and animal infection in Brazil and the evaluation of effectiveness of basic sanitation and rodent control based intervention to prevent leptospirosis. Recently, Dr. Costa has coordinated field and hospital based studies in Salvador, Brazil to respond to the recent outbreak of Zika virus infection and Congenital Zika Syndrome.
Last Updated on April 07, 2025.
Appointments
Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases
Associate Professor AdjunctPrimaryEpidemiology of Microbial Diseases
Associate Professor AdjunctPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- PhD
- Centro de Pesquisas Goncalo Moniz-FIOCRUZ (2010)
- MSc
- Universidad Nacional de San Martin (2006)
Research
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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
Zoonotic Diseases; Health Equity, Disparities, Social Determinants and Justice; Mosquito-borne Diseases; Global Health
ORCID
0000-0001-6951-2336
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Federico Costa's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Federico Costa's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Federico Costa is interested in exploring.
Albert Ko, MD
Mitermayer Reis, MD
Peter Diggle, PhD
Jamie Childs, ScD
Adam V Wisnewski, PhD, D(ABMLI)
Akiko Iwasaki, PhD
36Publications
3,383Citations
Brazil
Leptospirosis
Publications
2025
Topography and environmental deficiencies are associated with chikungunya virus exposure in urban informal settlements in Salvador, Brazil
Travis C, Argibay H, Pellizzaro M, de Oliveira D, Santana R, Palma F, Lustosa R, Santana J, Souza F, López Y, Reis M, Ko A, Diggle P, Ribeiro G, Begon M, Costa F, Khalil H, Eyre M. Topography and environmental deficiencies are associated with chikungunya virus exposure in urban informal settlements in Salvador, Brazil. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2025, 19: e0013477. PMID: 40911655, PMCID: PMC12440227, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0013477.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsUrban informal settlementsPublic health burdenLow-income communitiesInformal settlementsGlobal public health burdenBinomial mixed-effects modelDegree of urbanisationHealth burdenMixed-effects modelsCHIKV seroprevalenceEnvironmental deficienciesReduced riskAssociated with seropositivityRisk factorsUrban communitiesMale sexBrazilian citiesRiskHouseholdsCommunityCHIKV seropositivityIndividualsEnvironmental factorsExposure patternsDomains individualsHematological and biochemical profiles, infection and habitat quality in an urban rat population
Carvalho-Pereira T, Pedra G, de Oliveira D, Souza F, Zeppelini C, Santos L, Couto R, Bahiense T, da Silva E, Begon M, Reis M, Ko A, Childs J, Costa F. Hematological and biochemical profiles, infection and habitat quality in an urban rat population. Scientific Reports 2025, 15: 26518. PMID: 40691241, PMCID: PMC12279998, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-09887-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRat serumComplete blood countT groupL. interrogansNo significant associationEosinophil deficiencyKidney imprintsPoor condition groupHelminth eggsBlood countEM-DGroup ratsRat groupsFecal samplesImmature neutrophilsDeficient groupMean intensitySpecific infectionsHealth profileRatsSignificant associationBlood samplesCorticosterone metabolitesInfectionHematological profileGender differences in Leptospira exposure risk, perceptions of disease severity, and high-risk behaviours in Salvador, Brazil: A cross-sectional study
Delight E, Santiago D, Palma F, de Oliveira D, Souza F, Santana J, Hidano A, López Y, Reis M, Ko A, Marphatia A, Cremonese C, Costa F, Eyre M. Gender differences in Leptospira exposure risk, perceptions of disease severity, and high-risk behaviours in Salvador, Brazil: A cross-sectional study. PLOS Global Public Health 2025, 5: e0004786. PMID: 40577380, PMCID: PMC12204547, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0004786.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsHigh-risk behaviorsUrban informal settlementsGender lensHealth promotion programsInformal settlementsGender identityHigh riskGender-neutralPerception of disease severityCross-sectional studySex-disaggregated analysesGender-specific riskLogistic regression modelsPromotion programsWalking barefootClimate hazardsGender differencesExposure riskEvidence gapsSalvadorGenderCross-sectional serosurveySurveillance dataAssociated with seropositivityWomenStrengthening resilience to emerging vector-borne diseases in Europe: lessons learnt from countries facing endemic transmission
Charnley G, Alcayna T, Almuedo-Riera A, Antoniou C, Badolo A, Bartumeus F, Boodram L, Bueno-Marí R, Codeço C, Coelho F, Costa F, Cox H, Haddad N, Hamid N, Kittayapong P, Korukluoğlu G, Michaelakis A, Maciel-de-Freitas R, Montalvo T, Muñoz J, Oliveras S, Palmer J, Pizard C, Ribeiro G, Lowe R. Strengthening resilience to emerging vector-borne diseases in Europe: lessons learnt from countries facing endemic transmission. The Lancet Regional Health - Europe 2025, 53: 101271. PMID: 40247854, PMCID: PMC12002787, DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2025.101271.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPublic health priorityPublic health concernHealth priorityArray of interventionsSocio-economic tollHealth concernThreat of vector-borne diseasesStrengthening resilienceVector-borne diseasesHuman exposureClimate changeIncreasing threatEnvironmental degradationControlling vector-borne diseasesProactive measuresInterventionEndemic countriesEndemic transmissionTeamPreventionIncreasing 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 ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRat 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 trendWarmingFactors associated with the lethality of human leptospirosis in Brazil
Marteli A, Guasselli L, Diament D, Marinho D, Cunha G, Costa F. Factors associated with the lethality of human leptospirosis in Brazil. Cadernos De Saúde Pública 2025, 41: e00144324. PMID: 40699033, PMCID: PMC12315562, DOI: 10.1590/0102-311xen144324.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsFactors associated with deathNon-white skin colorCross-sectional studyCardiac alterationsPulmonary hemorrhageChance of deathClinical factorsMale genderRespiratory alterationsKidney failureExploratory cross-sectional studyBrazilian Ministry of HealthProportion of deathsMode of infectionHuman infectionsBrazilian Information SystemDisease lethalityInfectionBrazilian MinistryDeathMinistry of HealthHuman leptospirosisConfirmation criteriaContact with soilWork-related infection
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 ResearchCitationsConceptsSmall 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 ResearchCitationsConceptsRat 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 ResearchCitationsHuman 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 ResearchAltmetricConceptsPowassan virusEnvelope domain IIIYellow fever virusZika virusFever virusSerological neutralizing activityTemperate regionsDengue virusTicksTropical areasInfect humansLineage IMosquito-borne flavivirusNeutralizing activityHuman antibodiesVirusNeurological illnessBrazilFlavivirusesP002P003Human diseases
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