Title Molecular Epidemiology of Human Rhinoviruses and Enteroviruses Highlights Their Diversity in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Author L'Huillier, Arnaud G; Kaiser, Laurent; Petty, Tom J; Kilowoko, Mary; Kyungu, Esther; Hongoa, Philipina; Vieille, Gael; Turin, Lara; Genton, Blaise; D'Acremont, Valerie; Tapparel, Caroline
Journal Viruses Publication Year/Month 2015-Dec
PMID 26670243 PMCID PMC4690871
Affiliation + expend 1.Geneva University Hospitals and Medical School, 4 rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland. arnaud.lhuillier@hcuge.ch.

Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) and enteroviruses (HEVs) belong to the Enterovirus genus and are the most frequent cause of infection worldwide, but data on their molecular epidemiology in Africa are scarce. To understand HRV and HEV molecular epidemiology in this setting, we enrolled febrile pediatric patients participating in a large prospective cohort assessing the causes of fever in Tanzanian children. Naso/oropharyngeal swabs were systematically collected and tested by real-time RT-PCR for HRV and HEV. Viruses from positive samples were sequenced and phylogenetic analyses were then applied to highlight the HRV and HEV types as well as recombinant or divergent strains. Thirty-eight percent (378/1005) of the enrolled children harboured an HRV or HEV infection. Although some types were predominant, many distinct types were co-circulating, including a vaccinal poliovirus, HEV-A71 and HEV-D68. Three HRV-A recombinants were identified: HRV-A36/HRV-A67, HRV-A12/HRV-A67 and HRV-A96/HRV-A61. Four divergent HRV strains were also identified: one HRV-B strain and three HRV-C strains. This is the first prospective study focused on HRV and HEV molecular epidemiology in sub-Saharan Africa. This systematic and thorough large screening with careful clinical data management confirms the wide genomic diversity of these viruses, brings new insights about their evolution and provides data about associated symptoms.

StrainID RV Species Serotype Length(nt) Country Year Strain Name
ANC04949 A None 885 Tanzania 2008 A96/61_ID265T
ANP04947 A 67 3019 Tanzania 2008 A36/67_ID976T
ANS04948 A None 893 Tanzania 2008 A12/67_ID91T
ANZ04946 A 67 3643 Tanzania 2008 A36/67_ID918T
BNP00912 B 3 201 Tanzania 2008 HRV-B_Pat09_ID736T_VP2/VP3
BNS00913 B 3 415 Tanzania 2008 HRV-B_Pat09_ID736T_VP4/VP2
BNZ00911 B 37 393 Tanzania 2008 HRV-B_Pat09_ID736T_5UTR
CNC03574 C 33 213 Tanzania 2008 HRV-C33_ID566T_5UTR
CNC03579 C None 467 Tanzania 2008 HRV-C_Pat22_ID624T_VP2/VP3
CNC03584 C 23 1630 Tanzania 2008 HRV-C23_ID288T_5UTR/VP3
CNM03575 C 27 215 Tanzania 2008 HRV-C27_ID119T_5UTR
CNM03580 C 55 3124 Tanzania 2008 HRV-C55_ID529T_5UTR/2A
CNM03585 C 46 2231 Tanzania 2008 HRV-C46_ID987T_5UTR/VP3
CNP03577 C 18 213 Tanzania 2008 HRV-C18_ID701T_5UTR
CNP03582 C None 2020 Tanzania 2008 HRV-C_Pat21_ID813T_5UTR/VP3
CNS03578 C 13 215 Tanzania 2008 HRV-C13_ID882T_5UTR
CNS03583 C 16 3338 Tanzania 2008 HRV-C16_ID639T_5UTR/VP1
CNZ03576 C 19 214 Tanzania 2008 HRV-C19_ID539T_5UTR
CNZ03581 C None 868 Tanzania 2008 HRV-C_Pat22_ID624T_5UTR/VP2
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