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Genetic diversity of rotavirus A in Argentina during 2019-2022: detection of G6 strains and insights regarding its dissemination

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Abstract

One of the challenges associated with introducing a vaccine is monitoring its impact through clinical and molecular surveillance. The aims of this study were to analyze the genetic diversity of rotavirus A in Argentina between 2019 and 2022 and to assess the phylogenetic and phylodynamic features of the unusual G6 strains detected. A significant decline in the Wa-like genogroup strains was observed, and G6 strains were detected for the first time in Argentina, in association with P[8] and P[9]. Spatiotemporal analysis showed that the G6-lineage I strains detected recently in Argentina and Brazil might have emerged from European strains. This study provides recent evidence of the genetic diversity of rotaviruses in isolated cases. It is considered important to support continuous surveillance of rotavirus in the post-vaccine scenario, mainly to evaluate potential changes that may occur after the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Data availability

The datasets generated and/or analysed in the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

Here, the members of Argentinean Rotavirus Surveillance Network are listed who contributed to this study: M. L. Benvenutti (Htal. Penna, Buenos Aires), L. Cabral (Htal Barreyro, Misiones), C. Cano (Htal de la Madre y el Niño, La Rioja), P. Cortes (Htal. del Niño Jesús, Córdoba), V. Eibar (Htal. Notti, Mendoza), R. Farfán (Htal Papa Francisco, Salta), S. Flores (Htal. Eva Perón, Tucumán), L. López (Htal. Durand, CABA), E. Lozano (Htal Quintana, Jujuy), N. Lucero (Htal. Schestakow, Mendoza), M. Maresca (Htal Materno Infantil, Salta), J. Palau (Htal. Sor María Ludovica, Buenos Aires), M. Roncallo (Htal. Cipolletti, Río Negro), G. Ruiz de Huidobro (Laboratorio de Salud Pública, Tucumán), I. Silveyra (Htal. Centeno, La Pampa), G. Sucin (Htal. Castelán, Chaco), A. Zurschmitten (Htal. Junín de los Andes, Neuquén).

Funding

The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Argentine Reference Laboratory for Rotavirus and Norovirus, INEI-ANLIS “Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán”, Avenida Vélez Sársfield 563, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Juan Ignacio Degiuseppe, Christian Barrios Mathieur & Juan Andrés Stupka

  2. Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas “Dr. Norberto Quirno” (CEMIC), Galván 4102, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Antonella Martelli

Authors
  1. Juan Ignacio Degiuseppe
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  2. Antonella Martelli
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  3. Christian Barrios Mathieur
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  4. Juan Andrés Stupka
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Consortia

Argentinean Viral Gastroenteritis Surveillance Network

Contributions

JID and JAS contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by JID, AM, and CBM. The first draft of the manuscript was written by JID, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Juan Ignacio Degiuseppe.

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Handing Editor -Hester G O'Neill.

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Supplementary Information

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Supplementary Fig. S1

Maximum-clade-credibility tree rendered in .kml format (SpreaD3 software) (KML 245 KB)

Supplementary Fig. S2

Bayes factor rendered in .kml format (SpreaD3 software) (KML 2115 KB)

Supplementary Fig. S3

Maximum-clade-credibility tree of G6-lineage I strains. Branches are color-coded according to their country of origin (ARG, Argentina; BEL, Belgium; BFA, Burkina Faso; BGR, Bulgaria; BRA, Brazil; CMR, Cameroon; COG, Democratic Republic of Congo; GER, Germany; GHA, Ghana; HUN, Hungary; ITA, Italy; JPN, Japan; RUS, Russia; TUN, Tunisia; USA, United States). The timescale is indicated below the tree. Clade posterior probability values are shown at each branch (EPS 482 KB)

Supplementary file4 (FAS 10 KB)

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Degiuseppe, J.I., Martelli, A., Barrios Mathieur, C. et al. Genetic diversity of rotavirus A in Argentina during 2019-2022: detection of G6 strains and insights regarding its dissemination. Arch Virol 168, 251 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-023-05874-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-023-05874-8

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