Norovirus strains in patients with acute gastroenteritis in rural and low-income urban areas in northern Brazil.

From 2010-2016, a total of 251 stool samples were screened for norovirus using next-generation sequencing (NGS) followed by phylogenetic analysis to investigate the genotypic diversity of noroviruses in rural and low-income urban areas in northern Brazil. Norovirus infection was detected in 19.9% (50/251) of the samples. Eight different genotypes were identified: GII.4_Sydney[P31] (64%, 32/50), GII.6[P7] (14%, 7/50), GII.17[P17] (6%, 3/50), GII.1[P33] (6%, 3/50), GII.3[P16] (4%, 2/50), GII.2[P16] (2%, 1/50), GII.2[P2] (2%, 1/50), and GII.4_New Orleans[P4] (2%, 1/50). Distinct GII.6[P7] variants were recognized, indicating the presence of different co-circulating strains. Elucidating norovirus genetic diversity will improve our understanding of their potential health burden, in particular for the GII.4_Sydney[P31] variant.

Viral gastroenteritis in Tocantins, Brazil: characterizing the diversity of human adenovirus F through next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics.

Human enteric adenovirus species F (HAdV-F) is one of the most common pathogens responsible for acute gastroenteritis worldwide. Brazil is a country with continental dimensions where continuous multiregional surveillance is vital to establish a more complete picture of the epidemiology of HAdV-F. The aim of the current study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology of HAdV-F using full-genome data in rural and low-income urban areas in northern Brazil. This will allow a genetic comparison between Brazilian and global HAdV-F strains. The frequency of HAdV-F infections in patients with gastroenteritis and molecular typing of positive samples within this period was also analysed. A total of 251 stool samples collected between 2010 and 2016 from patients with acute gastroenteritis were screened for HAdV-F using next-generation sequencing techniques. HAdV-F infection was detected in 57.8 % (145/251) of samples. A total of 137 positive samples belonged to HAdV-F41 and 7 to HAdV-F40. HAdV-F40/41 dual infection was found in one sample. Detection rates did not vary significantly according to the year. Single HAdV-F infections were detected in 21.9 % (55/251) of samples and mixed infections in 37.4 % (94/251), with RVA/HAdV-F being the most frequent association (21.5 %; 54/251). Genetic analysis indicated that the HAdV-F strains circulating in Brazil were closely related to worldwide strains, and the existence of some temporal order was not observed. This is the first large-scale HAdV-F study in Brazil in which whole-genome data and DNA sequence analyses were used to characterize HAdV-F strains. Expanding the viral genome database could improve overall genotyping success and assist the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)/GenBank in standardizing the HAdV genome records by providing a large set of annotated HAdV-F genomes.

Detailed characterization of Redondovirus in saliva of SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Redondovirus (ReDoV) is a DNA virus present in the respiratory tract of many healthy individuals. Since SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, also primarily infects the same site, we evaluated whether ReDoV was present at increased frequency in patients with COVID-19 and influenced infection parameters. METHODS: Saliva samples were collected weekly from 59 individuals with COVID-19 and from 132 controls. ReDoV was detected by polymerase chain reaction and the genotypes were identified by metagenomics. Torque Teno Virus (TTV) in these samples were previously reported. RESULTS: ReDoV was detected in saliva more frequently from COVID-19 patients (72.9%) than from controls (50.0%) (p = 0.0015). There were no associations between ReDoV detection and either continuous or intermittent SARS-CoV-2 shedding, the duration of SARS-CoV-2 detection in saliva, patients' sex or if infection was by the B1 or Gamma strain. The two ReDoV strains, Brisavirus and Vientovirus, were present in equivalent frequencies in ReDoV-positive COVID-19 patients and controls. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the two ReDoV strains in Brazil were similar to strains previously detected on other continents. CONCLUSION: ReDoV expression in saliva is increased in males and females in Brazil with mild COVID-19 but its presence does not appear to influence properties of the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

High Heterogeneity of Echoviruses in Brazilian Children with Acute Gastroenteritis.

Echoviruses (E) are a diverse group of viruses responsible for various pathological conditions in humans including aseptic meningitis, myocarditis, and acute flaccid paralysis. The detection and identification of echovirus genotypes in clinical samples is challenging due to its high genetic diversity. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of nine echoviruses, obtained by next-generation sequencing of 238 fecal samples from individuals with gastroenteritis in regions of Brazil. Detected viruses were classified into six genotypes: Three E1 sequences (BRA/TO-028, BRA/TO-069 and BRA/TO-236), one E3 (BRA/TO-018), one E11 (BRA/TO-086), one E20 (BRA/TO-016), two E29 (BRA/TO-030 and BRA/TO-193), and one E30 sequence (BRA/TO-032). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the echoviruses E1 and E29 circulating in Brazil are divergent from strains circulating worldwide. The genotype diversity identified in our study may under-represent the total echovirus diversity in Brazil because of the small sample size and the restricted geographical distribution covered by the survey.