Dataset Information

Emergence of a Novel Recombinant Norovirus GII.P16-GII.12 Strain Causing Gastroenteritis, Alberta, Canada.

ABSTRACT: We identified a novel recombinant GII.P16-GII.12 norovirus associated with epidemic and endemic gastroenteritis during March 1, 2018-February 12, 2019, in Alberta, Canada. GII.12 viruses have not been detected in Alberta since 2000. Comparing the full genome of this strain to previously published sequences revealed this virus to be a novel recombinant strain.

SUBMITTER: Pabbaraju K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6649330 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundIn late 2016, an uncommon recombinant NoV genotype called GII.P16-GII.2 caused a sharp increase in outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis in different countries of Asia and Europe, including China. However, we did not observe a drastic increase in sporadic norovirus cases in the winter of 2016 in Huzhou. Therefore, we investigate the prevalence and genetic diversity of NoVs in the sporadic acute gastroenteritis (AGE) cases from January 2016 to December 2017 in Huzhou City, Zhejiang, China.MethodsFrom January 2016 to December 2017, a total of 1001 specimens collected from patients with AGE were screened for NoV by real-time RT-PCR. Partial sequences of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and capsid gene of the positive samples were amplified by RT-PCR and sequenced. Genotypes of NoV were confirmed by online NoV typing tool and phylogenetic analysis. Complete VP1 sequences of GII.P16-GII.2 strains detected in this study were further obtained and subjected into sequence analysis.ResultsIn total, 204 (20.4%) specimens were identified as NoV-positive. GII genogroup accounted for most of the NoV-infected cases (98.0%, 200/204). NoV infection was found in all age groups tested (< 5, 5-15, 16-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, and >60 years), with the 5-15 year age group having the highest detection rate (17/49, 34.7%). Higher activity of NoV infection could be seen in winter-spring season. The predominant NoV genotypes have changed from GII.Pe-GII.4 Sydney2012 and GII.P17-GII.17 in 2016 to GII.P16-GII.2, GII.Pe-GII.4 Sydney2012 and GII.P17-GII.17 in 2017. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that 2016-2017 GII.P16-GII.2 strains were most closely related to Japan 2010-2012 cluster in VP1 region and no common mutations were found in the amino acids of the HBGA-binding sites and the predicted epitopes.ConclusionsWe report the emergence of GII.P16-GII.2 strains and characterize the molecular epidemiological patterns NoV infection between January 2016 and December 2017 in Huzhou. The predominant genotypes of NoV during our study period are diverse. VP1 amino acid sequences of 2016-2017 GII.P16-GII.2 strains remain static after one year of circulation.

Project description:BACKGROUND: Norovirus GII.4 is the predominant genotype circulating worldwide over the last decade causing 80% of all norovirus outbreaks with new GII.4 variants reported in parallel with periodic epidemic waves of norovirus outbreaks. The circulating new GII.4 variants and the epidemiology of norovirus outbreaks in Alberta, Canada have not been described. Our hypothesis is that the periodic epidemic norovirus outbreak activity in Alberta was driven by new GII.4 variants evolving by genetic drift. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The Alberta Provincial Public Health Laboratory performed norovirus testing using RT-PCR for suspected norovirus outbreaks in the province and the northern Territories between 2000 and 2008. At least one norovirus strain from 707 out of 1,057 (66.9%) confirmed norovirus outbreaks were successfully sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using BioNumerics and 617 (91.1%) outbreaks were characterized as caused by GII.4 with 598 assigned as novel variants including: GII.4-1996, GII.4-2002, GII.4-2004, GII.4-2006a, GII.4-2006b, GII.4-2008a and GII.4-2008b. Defining July to June of the following year as the yearly observation period, there was clear biannual pattern of low and high outbreak activity in Alberta. Within this biannual pattern, high outbreak activity followed the emergence of novel GII.4 variants. The two variants that emerged in 2006 had wider geographic distribution and resulted in higher outbreak activity compared to other variants. The outbreak settings were analyzed. Community-based group residence was the most common for both GII.4 variants and non-GII.4 variants. GII.4 variants were more commonly associated with outbreaks in acute care hospitals while outbreaks associated non-GII.4 variants were more commonly seen in school and community social events settings (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The emergence of new norovirus GII.4 variants resulted in an increased norovirus outbreak activity in the following season in a unique biannual pattern in Alberta over an eight year period. The association between antigenic drift of GII.4 strains and epidemic norovirus outbreak activity could be due to changes in host immunity, viral receptor binding efficiency or virulence factors in the new variants. Early detection of novel GII.4 variants provides vital information that could be used to forecast the norovirus outbreak burden, enhance public health preparedness and allocate appropriate resources for outbreak management.

Project description:Noroviruses (the Caliciviridae family) are a common cause of acute gastroenteritis in all age groups. These small non-envelope viruses with a single-stranded (+)RNA genome are characterized by high genetic variability. Continuous changes in the genetic diversity of co-circulating noroviruses and the emergence of new recombinant variants are observed worldwide. Recently, new recombinant noroviruses with a novel GII.P16 polymerase associated with different capsid proteins VP1 were reported. As a part of the surveillance study of sporadic cases of acute gastroenteritis in Novosibirsk, a total of 46 clinical samples from children with diarrhea were screened in 2016. Norovirus was detected in six samples from hospitalized children by RT-PCR. The identified noroviruses were classified as recombinant variants GII.P21/GII.3, GII. Pe/GII.4_Sydney_2012, and GII.P16/GII.4_Sydney_2012 by sequencing of the ORF1/ORF2 junction. In Novosibirsk, the first appearance of the new recombinant genotype GII.P16/ GII.4_Sydney_2012 was recorded in spring 2016. Before this study, only four complete genome sequences of the Russian GII.P16/GII.3 norovirus strains were available in the GenBank database. In this work, the complete genome sequence of the Russian strain Hu/GII.P16-GII.4/RUS/Novosibirsk/NS16-C38/2016 (GenBank KY210980) was determined. A comparison of the nucleotide and the deduced amino acid sequences showed a high homology of the Russian strain with GII.P16/GII.4_Sydney_2012 strains from other parts of the world. A comparative analysis showed that several unique substitutions occurred in the GII.P16 polymerase, N-terminal p48 protein, and minor capsid protein VP2 genes, while no unique changes in the capsid VP1 gene were observed. A functional significance of these changes suggests that a wide distribution of the strains with the novel GII.P16 polymerase may be associated both with several amino acid substitutions in the polymerase active center and with the insertion of glutamic acid or glycine in an N-terminal p48 protein that blocks the secretory immunity of intestinal epithelial cells. Further monitoring of genotypes will allow determining the distribution of norovirus recombinants with the polymerase GII.P16 in Russia.

Dataset Information

Emergence of a Novel Recombinant Norovirus GII.P16-GII.12 Strain Causing Gastroenteritis, Alberta, Canada.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets