4.6 Article

Epidemiological and genetic characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus infection in children from Hangzhou after the peak of COVID-19

Journal

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL VIROLOGY
Volume 158, Issue -, Pages -

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ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2022.105354

Keywords

Respiratory syncytial virus; COVID-19; Children; Genotype

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This study investigated the epidemiological and genetic characteristics of RSV circulating in Hangzhou after the peak of COVID-19. A total of 267 (21.79%) RSV-positive samples were identified out of 1225 collected nasopharyngeal swabs from outpatients with ARTIs. There was no gender bias, but a clear age preference for infection, with children aged 3-6 years being more susceptible. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the dominant RSV strains belonged to the ON1 genotype for RSV-A and the BA9 genotype for RSV-B. Ten fixed mutations were also identified, highlighting their importance regarding biological properties.
Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the main pathogens that causes acute lower respiratory tract infection (ARTI) in infants. During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, although strict interventions have been implemented, RSV infection has not decreased. Objectives: To study the epidemiological and genetic characteristics of RSV circulating in Hangzhou after the peak of COVID-19. Methods: A total of 1225 nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from outpatients with ARTIs from July 2021 to January 2022 in The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Results: A total of 267 (21.79%) of the 1225 samples were RSV positive. There was no gender bias. However, an obvious age preference for infection was observed, and children aged 3-6 years were more susceptible, which was very different from previous RSV pandemic seasons. Phylogenetic analysis of 115 sequenced RSV isolates showed that all the RSV-A viruses belong to the ON1 subtype, which could be clustered into three clusters. While all the RSV-B viruses belong to BA9. Further analysis of the mutations highlights the fixation of ten mutations, which should be given extra attention regarding their biological properties. Conclusion: The incidence of RSV infection in preschool children reported in this study is high. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the subtype A ON1 genotype was the dominant strain in Hangzhou from July 2021 to January 2022.

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