RESUMEN
SARS-CoV-2 variants emerged in late 2020, and at least three variants of concern (B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P1) have been reported by WHO. These variants have several substitutions in the spike protein that affect receptor binding; they exhibit increased transmissibility and may be associated with reduced vaccine effectiveness. In the present work, we report the identification of a potential variant of interest, harboring the mutations T478K, P681H, and T732A in the spike protein, within the newly named lineage B.1.1.519, that rapidly outcompeted the preexisting variants in Mexico and has been the dominant virus in the country during the first trimester of 2021.
Asunto(s)
COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/virología , SARS-CoV-2/genética , COVID-19/transmisión , Genoma Viral/genética , Humanos , México/epidemiología , Mutación , Filogenia , Prevalencia , SARS-CoV-2/clasificación , SARS-CoV-2/aislamiento & purificación , Glicoproteína de la Espiga del Coronavirus/genéticaRESUMEN
SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. In this report, we describe the complete genome sequence of the first imported SARS-CoV-2, detected in a Mexican patient who had traveled to Bergamo, Italy. Phylogenetic analysis showed that this isolate belongs to subclade A2a (lineage G) and is closely related to isolates from Finland, Germany and Brazil, all of which were from patients with a history of travel to Italy. This is the first report of the complete genome sequence of this virus in Mexico.
Asunto(s)
Betacoronavirus/genética , Infecciones por Coronavirus/virología , Genoma Viral , Neumonía Viral/virología , Adulto , Secuencia de Bases , Betacoronavirus/clasificación , Betacoronavirus/aislamiento & purificación , COVID-19 , Humanos , Masculino , México , Pandemias , Filogenia , SARS-CoV-2 , Secuenciación Completa del GenomaRESUMEN
In this work, nineteen influenza A/H3N2 viruses isolated in Mexico between 2003 and 2012 were studied. Our findings show that different human A/H3N2 viral lineages co-circulate within a same season and can also persist locally in between different influenza seasons, increasing the chance for genetic reassortment events. A novel minor cluster was also identified, named here as Korea, that circulated worldwide during 2003. Frequently, phylogenetic characterization did not correlate with the determined antigenic identity, supporting the need for the use of molecular evolutionary tools additionally to antigenic data for the surveillance and characterization of viral diversity during each flu season. This work represents the first long-term molecular epidemiology study of influenza A/H3N2 viruses in Mexico based on the complete genomic sequences and contributes to the monitoring of evolutionary trends of A/H3N2 influenza viruses within North and Central America.
