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Sultana A, Geethakumari AM, Islam Z, Kolatkar PR, Biswas KH. BRET-based biosensors for SARS-CoV-2 oligonucleotide detection. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1353479. [PMID: 38887615 PMCID: PMC11181354 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1353479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The need for the early detection of emerging pathogenic viruses and their newer variants has driven the urgent demand for developing point-of-care diagnostic tools. Although nucleic acid-based methods such as reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) have been developed, a more facile and robust platform is still required. To address this need, as a proof-of-principle study, we engineered a prototype-the versatile, sensitive, rapid, and cost-effective bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-based biosensor for oligonucleotide detection (BioOD). Specifically, we designed BioODs against the SARS-CoV-2 parental (Wuhan strain) and B.1.617.2 Delta variant through the conjugation of specific, fluorescently modified molecular beacons (sensor module) through a complementary oligonucleotide handle DNA functionalized with the NanoLuc (NLuc) luciferase protein such that the dissolution of the molecular beacon loop upon the binding of the viral oligonucleotide will result in a decrease in BRET efficiency and, thus, a change in the bioluminescence spectra. Following the assembly of the BioODs, we determined their kinetics response, affinity for variant-specific oligonucleotides, and specificity, and found them to be rapid and highly specific. Furthermore, the decrease in BRET efficiency of the BioODs in the presence of viral oligonucleotides can be detected as a change in color in cell phone camera images. We envisage that the BioODs developed here will find application in detecting viral infections with variant specificity in a point-of-care-testing format, thus aiding in large-scale viral infection surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asfia Sultana
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Anupriya M. Geethakumari
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Zeyaul Islam
- Diabetes Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Prasanna R. Kolatkar
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
- Diabetes Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Kabir H. Biswas
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
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2
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Broudic K, Laurent S, Perkov V, Simon C, Garinot M, Truchot N, Latour J, Désert P. Nonclinical safety assessment of an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine candidate following repeated administrations and biodistribution. J Appl Toxicol 2024; 44:371-390. [PMID: 37723625 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines have demonstrated efficacy against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in humans. mRNA technology holds tremendous potential for rapid control and prevention of emergencies due to its flexibility with respect to production, application, and design for an efficacious and safe use in humans. We assessed the toxicity and biodistribution of MRT5500, an mRNA vaccine encoding for the full-length of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and delivered by lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) containing a novel ionizable lipid, Lipid-1 in preclinical animal models. In the repeated dose toxicity study, rabbits received three intramuscular (IM) injections of MRT5500 at 3-week interval followed by a 4-week observation period. In an exploratory biodistribution study in mice receiving a single IM injection of an mRNA encoding luciferase encapsulated in an LNP containing Lipid-1, the expression of the luciferase protein was monitored in vivo and ex vivo at several time points. In the regulatory biodistribution study in rabbits receiving a single IM injection of MRT5500, the quantification of the mRNA and the ionizable Lipid-1 were monitored in the same organs and time points as in the exploratory biodistribution study. MRT5500 was safe and well-tolerated with a transient acute phase response/inflammation and an expected vaccine-related immunological response, typical of those observed following a vaccine administration. The biodistribution data demonstrated that the mRNA and Lipid-1 components of the vaccine formulations were mainly detected at the injection site and in the draining lymph nodes. These results support the use of MRT5500 and its deployment into clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Broudic
- Research and Development, Sanofi, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | | | | | - Charlene Simon
- Research and Development, Sanofi, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - Marie Garinot
- Research and Development, Sanofi, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - Nathalie Truchot
- France Safety Assessment SAS, Charles River Laboratories, Saint-Germain-Nuelles, France
| | - Julie Latour
- Research and Development, Sanofi, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - Paul Désert
- Research and Development, Sanofi, Marcy l'Etoile, France
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3
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Sanna G, Marongiu A, Firinu D, Piras C, Palmas V, Galdiero M, Atzori L, Caria P, Campagna M, Perra A, Costanzo G, Coghe F, Littera R, Chessa L, Manzin A. Humoral responses to wild type and ancient BA.1 SARS-CoV-2 variant after heterologous priming vaccination with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BNT162b2 booster dose. Clin Exp Med 2024; 24:12. [PMID: 38244064 PMCID: PMC10799790 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-023-01276-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Several countries have recommended a booster dose of Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine for subjects under the age of 60, who have already received the first dose of ChAdOx1. This is due to several ChAdOx1 vaccine-associated adverse vascular events and thrombocytopenia. Neutralization assay and quantitative IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike antibody (anti-S-IgG) were conducted to investigate the long-term responses to vaccine treatment in a cohort of Sardinian participants, who have received heterologous Prime-Boost Vaccination via ChAdOx1 vector vaccine and a booster dose via BNT162b2. The obtained results were compared with those of a cohort of healthcare workers (HCW) who received homologous BNT162b2 (BNT/BNT/BNT) vaccination. One month (T2) and five months after the second and before the third dose (T3), anti-spike antibody or neutralizing titers in the subjects vaccinated with ChAdOx1-S/BNT162b2 were significantly higher than those who experienced the ChAdOx1-S/ChAdOx1-S or BNT162b2/BNT162b2 schedule. These results suggest that a ChAdOx1-S/BNT162b2 regimen provides a more robust antibody response than either of the homologous regimens. However, the anti-spike antibodies or neutralizing titers after the third injection (mRNA vaccine) of ChAdOx1-S as a second dose and BNT162b2 were not statistically different. Homologous and heterologous vaccination provided a strong antibody response. Neutralizing activities were also described against the Omicron BA.1 variant in a sub-group (40) representative of the three vaccination regimens among our cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Sanna
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Marongiu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Davide Firinu
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Cristina Piras
- Clinical Metabolomics Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Vanessa Palmas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Galdiero
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Atzori
- Clinical Metabolomics Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Paola Caria
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Marcello Campagna
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Andrea Perra
- Unit of Oncology and Molecular Pathology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Giulia Costanzo
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Coghe
- Laboratory Clinical Chemical Analysis and Microbiology, University Hospital of Cagliari, 09042, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Roberto Littera
- Medical Genetics, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, 09100, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Luchino Chessa
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Aldo Manzin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
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4
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Li H, Ding L, Liao R, Li N, Hong X, Jiang Z, Liu D. Global genomic diversity and conservation of SARS-CoV-2 since the COVID-19 outbreak. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0282623. [PMID: 37909759 PMCID: PMC10714991 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02826-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Our results indicate that most severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 genomes sampled from patients had a mutation rate ≤1.07 ‰ and genome-tail proteins (including S protein) were the main sources of genetic polymorphism. The analysis of the virus-host interaction network of genome-tail proteins showed that they shared some antiviral signaling pathways, especially the intracellular protein transport pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Li
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Postdoctoral Research Station, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Geriatrics, Geriatric Center, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Liping Ding
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Rui Liao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Nini Li
- Department of Pathology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaoping Hong
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhenyou Jiang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dongzhou Liu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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5
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Tang CY, Li T, Haynes TA, McElroy JA, Ritter D, Hammer RD, Sampson C, Webby R, Hang J, Wan XF. Rural populations facilitated early SARS-CoV-2 evolution and transmission in Missouri, USA. NPJ VIRUSES 2023; 1:7. [PMID: 38186942 PMCID: PMC10769004 DOI: 10.1038/s44298-023-00005-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
In the United States, rural populations comprise 60 million individuals and suffered from high COVID-19 disease burdens. Despite this, surveillance efforts are biased toward urban centers. Consequently, how rurally circulating SARS-CoV-2 viruses contribute toward emerging variants remains poorly understood. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of rural communities in the evolution and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during the early pandemic. We collected 544 urban and 435 rural COVID-19-positive respiratory specimens from an overall vaccine-naïve population in Southwest Missouri between July and December 2020. Genomic analyses revealed 53 SARS-CoV-2 Pango lineages in our study samples, with 14 of these lineages identified only in rural samples. Phylodynamic analyses showed that frequent bi-directional diffusions occurred between rural and urban communities in Southwest Missouri, and that four out of seven Missouri rural-origin lineages spread globally. Further analyses revealed that the nucleocapsid protein (N):R203K/G204R paired substitutions, which were detected disproportionately across multiple Pango lineages, were more associated with urban than rural sequences. Positive selection was detected at N:204 among rural samples but was not evident in urban samples, suggesting that viruses may encounter distinct selection pressures in rural versus urban communities. This study demonstrates that rural communities may be a crucial source of SARS-CoV-2 evolution and transmission, highlighting the need to expand surveillance and resources to rural populations for COVID-19 mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Y. Tang
- Center for Influenza and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Cynthia Y. Tang, Tao Li
| | - Tao Li
- Viral Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Cynthia Y. Tang, Tao Li
| | - Tricia A. Haynes
- Center for Influenza and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Jane A. McElroy
- Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouriś, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Detlef Ritter
- Anatomic Pathology & Clinical Pathology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Richard D. Hammer
- Anatomic Pathology & Clinical Pathology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | | | - Richard Webby
- Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jun Hang
- Viral Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Xiu-Feng Wan
- Center for Influenza and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, College of Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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6
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Bi D, Luo X, Chen Z, Xie Z, Zang N, Mo L, Liu Z, Lin Y, Qin Y, Tang X, Lin L, Wang Y, Cao L, Zhao F, Zhou J, Wei S, Xi S, Ma Q, Lin J. Genomic epidemiology reveals early transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and mutational dynamics in Nanning, China. Heliyon 2023; 9:e23029. [PMID: 38125422 PMCID: PMC10731232 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants are a fatal pathogen resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality, and posing a great threat to human health with epidemics and pandemics. METHODS Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed to investigate the SARS-CoV-2 genomic characterization. Phylogenetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomes was used to probe the evolutionary. Homology protein structure modelling was done to explore potential effect of the mutations. RESULTS The eighty genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 obtained from the thirty-nine patients with COVID-19. A novel variant with mutation H625R concomitant with S50L in spike glycoprotein had been identified. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that SARS-CoV-2 variants belong to several distinct lineages. Homology modelling indicated that variant with mutation H625R and S50L increases flexibility of S1 subunit. CONCLUSIONS SARS-CoV-2 genomes are constantly evolving by accumulation of point mutations. The amino acid H625R in combination with S50L may have a significant impact on the interaction between spike glycoprotein and ACE2.
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Affiliation(s)
- DeWu Bi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, China
- Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, China
- Affiliated Infectious Disease Hospital of Nanning, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - XiaoLu Luo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, China
- Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, China
- Affiliated Infectious Disease Hospital of Nanning, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - ZhenCheng Chen
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, China
| | - ZhouHua Xie
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, China
- Affiliated Infectious Disease Hospital of Nanning, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Ning Zang
- Guangxi Medical Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - LiDa Mo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, China
- Affiliated Infectious Disease Hospital of Nanning, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - ZeDuan Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, China
- Affiliated Infectious Disease Hospital of Nanning, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - YanRong Lin
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, China
- Affiliated Infectious Disease Hospital of Nanning, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - YaQin Qin
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, China
- Affiliated Infectious Disease Hospital of Nanning, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - XiKe Tang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, China
- Affiliated Infectious Disease Hospital of Nanning, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Lü Lin
- Emergency Department, The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, China
- Affiliated Infectious Disease Hospital of Nanning, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - YuanLi Wang
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, China
| | - LiangLi Cao
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, China
| | - FeiJun Zhao
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, China
| | - JinAi Zhou
- Guangxi Medical Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - ShanQiu Wei
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, China
- Affiliated Infectious Disease Hospital of Nanning, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - ShaoYong Xi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, China
- Affiliated Infectious Disease Hospital of Nanning, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - QiuYing Ma
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, China
- Affiliated Infectious Disease Hospital of Nanning, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - JianYan Lin
- Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, China
- Affiliated Infectious Disease Hospital of Nanning, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
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7
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Chinnadurai RK, Ponne S, Chitra L, Kumar R, Thayumanavan P, Subramanian B. Pharmacoinformatic approach to identify potential phytochemicals against SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain in native and variants of concern. Mol Divers 2023; 27:2741-2766. [PMID: 36547813 PMCID: PMC9773690 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-022-10580-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pathogenesis is initiated by the binding of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor (ACE2R) on the host cell surface. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the S protein mediates the binding and is more prone to mutations resulting in the generation of different variants. Recently, molecules with the potential to inhibit the interaction of S protein with ACE2R have been of interest due to their therapeutic value. In this context, the present work was performed to identify potential RBD binders from the Indian medicinal plant's phytochemical database through virtual screening, molecular docking, and molecular dynamic simulation. Briefly, 1578 compounds filtered from 9596 phytochemicals were chosen for screening against the RBD of the native SARS-CoV-2 S protein. Based on the binding energy, the top 30 compounds were selected and re-docked individually against the native and five variants of concern (VOCs: alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and omicron) of SARS-CoV-2. Four phytochemicals, namely withanolide F, serotobenine, orobanchol, and gibberellin A51, were found to be potential RBD binders in native and all SARS-CoV-2 VOCs. Among the four, withanolide F exhibited lower binding energy (- 10.84 to - 8.56 kcal/mol) and better ligand efficiency (- 0.3 to - 0.25) against all forms of RBD and hence was subjected to a 100 ns MD simulation which confirmed its stringent binding to the RBDs in native and VOCs. The study prioritizes withanolide F as a prospective COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease) therapeutic agent based on the observations. It warrants deeper investigations into the four promising leads for understanding their precise therapeutic value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raj Kumar Chinnadurai
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical Advanced Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidhyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pondicherry, 607402, India.
| | - Saravanaraman Ponne
- Department of Biotechnology, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, 605014, India
| | - Loganathan Chitra
- Department of Biochemistry, Periyar University, Salem, Tamil Nadu, 636011, India
| | - Rajender Kumar
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Balanehru Subramanian
- School of Biological Sciences, Sri Balaji Vidhyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pondicherry, 607402, India
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8
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Grieve R, Yang Y, Abbott S, Babu GR, Bhattacharyya M, Dean N, Evans S, Jewell N, Langan SM, Lee W, Molenberghs G, Smeeth L, Williamson E, Mukherjee B. The importance of investing in data, models, experiments, team science, and public trust to help policymakers prepare for the next pandemic. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0002601. [PMID: 38032861 PMCID: PMC10688710 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about valuable insights regarding models, data, and experiments. In this narrative review, we summarised the existing literature on these three themes, exploring the challenges of providing forecasts, the requirement for real-time linkage of health-related datasets, and the role of 'experimentation' in evaluating interventions. This literature review encourages us to broaden our perspective for the future, acknowledging the significance of investing in models, data, and experimentation, but also to invest in areas that are conceptually more abstract: the value of 'team science', the need for public trust in science, and in establishing processes for using science in policy. Policy-makers rely on model forecasts early in a pandemic when there is little data, and it is vital to communicate the assumptions, limitations, and uncertainties (theme 1). Linked routine data can provide critical information, for example, in establishing risk factors for adverse outcomes but are often not available quickly enough to make a real-time impact. The interoperability of data resources internationally is required to facilitate sharing across jurisdictions (theme 2). Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) provided timely evidence on the efficacy and safety of vaccinations and pharmaceuticals but were largely conducted in higher income countries, restricting generalisability to low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Trials for non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) were almost non-existent which was a missed opportunity (theme 3). Building on these themes from the narrative review, we underscore the importance of three other areas that need investment for effective evidence-driven policy-making. The COVID-19 response relied on strong multidisciplinary research infrastructures, but funders and academic institutions need to do more to incentivise team science (4). To enhance public trust in the use of scientific evidence for policy, researchers and policy-makers must work together to clearly communicate uncertainties in current evidence and any need to change policy as evidence evolves (5). Timely policy decisions require an established two-way process between scientists and policy makers to make the best use of evidence (6). For effective preparedness against future pandemics, it is essential to establish models, data, and experiments as fundamental pillars, complemented by efforts in planning and investment towards team science, public trust, and evidence-based policy-making across international communities. The paper concludes with a 'call to actions' for both policy-makers and researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Grieve
- Centre for Data and Statistical Science for Health (DASH), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Youqi Yang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Sam Abbott
- Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Giridhara R. Babu
- Indian Institute of Public Health, Public Health Foundation of India, Bengaluru, India
| | | | - Natalie Dean
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Stephen Evans
- Centre for Data and Statistical Science for Health (DASH), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Jewell
- Centre for Data and Statistical Science for Health (DASH), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sinéad M. Langan
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Woojoo Lee
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Geert Molenberghs
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics (I-BioStat), Universiteit Hasselt & KU Leuven, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Liam Smeeth
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Williamson
- Centre for Data and Statistical Science for Health (DASH), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bhramar Mukherjee
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
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9
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Ren R, Cai S, Fang X, Wang X, Zhang Z, Damiani M, Hudlerova C, Rosa A, Hope J, Cook NJ, Gorelkin P, Erofeev A, Novak P, Badhan A, Crone M, Freemont P, Taylor GP, Tang L, Edwards C, Shevchuk A, Cherepanov P, Luo Z, Tan W, Korchev Y, Ivanov AP, Edel JB. Multiplexed detection of viral antigen and RNA using nanopore sensing and encoded molecular probes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7362. [PMID: 37963924 PMCID: PMC10646045 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43004-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
We report on single-molecule nanopore sensing combined with position-encoded DNA molecular probes, with chemistry tuned to simultaneously identify various antigen proteins and multiple RNA gene fragments of SARS-CoV-2 with high sensitivity and selectivity. We show that this sensing strategy can directly detect spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins in unprocessed human saliva. Moreover, our approach enables the identification of RNA fragments from patient samples using nasal/throat swabs, enabling the identification of critical mutations such as D614G, G446S, or Y144del among viral variants. In particular, it can detect and discriminate between SARS-CoV-2 lineages of wild-type B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.617.2 (Delta), and B.1.1.539 (Omicron) within a single measurement without the need for nucleic acid sequencing. The sensing strategy of the molecular probes is easily adaptable to other viral targets and diseases and can be expanded depending on the application required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren Ren
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, White City Campus, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Shenglin Cai
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, White City Campus, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Xiaona Fang
- The Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Aptamer Selection Center, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, 310022, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaoyi Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, White City Campus, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Zheng Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Aptamer Selection Center, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, 310022, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Micol Damiani
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, White City Campus, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Charlotte Hudlerova
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, White City Campus, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Annachiara Rosa
- The Chromatin Structure and Mobile DNA Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Wolfson Education Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Joshua Hope
- The Chromatin Structure and Mobile DNA Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Nicola J Cook
- The Chromatin Structure and Mobile DNA Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Peter Gorelkin
- National University of Science and Technology "MISIS", Leninskiy Prospect 4, 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Alexander Erofeev
- National University of Science and Technology "MISIS", Leninskiy Prospect 4, 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Pavel Novak
- ICAPPIC Limited, The Fisheries, Mentmore Terrace, London, E8 3PN, UK
| | - Anjna Badhan
- Molecular Diagnostic Unit, Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Michael Crone
- Section of Structural and Synthetic Biology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Freemont
- Section of Structural and Synthetic Biology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Graham P Taylor
- Molecular Diagnostic Unit, Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Longhua Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, International Research Center for Advanced Photonics, Zhejiang University, 310027, Hangzhou, China
| | - Christopher Edwards
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
- ICAPPIC Limited, The Fisheries, Mentmore Terrace, London, E8 3PN, UK
| | - Andrew Shevchuk
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Peter Cherepanov
- The Chromatin Structure and Mobile DNA Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Molecular Diagnostic Unit, Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Zhaofeng Luo
- The Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Aptamer Selection Center, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, 310022, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Weihong Tan
- The Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Aptamer Selection Center, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, 310022, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Yuri Korchev
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
- Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Aleksandar P Ivanov
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, White City Campus, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
| | - Joshua B Edel
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, White City Campus, 82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
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10
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Misra S, Aguilar-Salinas CA, Chikowore T, Konradsen F, Ma RCW, Mbau L, Mohan V, Morton RW, Nyirenda MJ, Tapela N, Franks PW. The case for precision medicine in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiometabolic diseases in low-income and middle-income countries. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2023; 11:836-847. [PMID: 37804857 DOI: 10.1016/s2213-8587(23)00164-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Cardiometabolic diseases are the leading preventable causes of death in most geographies. The causes, clinical presentations, and pathogenesis of cardiometabolic diseases vary greatly worldwide, as do the resources and strategies needed to prevent and treat them. Therefore, there is no single solution and health care should be optimised, if not to the individual (ie, personalised health care), then at least to population subgroups (ie, precision medicine). This optimisation should involve tailoring health care to individual disease characteristics according to ethnicity, biology, behaviour, environment, and subjective person-level characteristics. The capacity and availability of local resources and infrastructures should also be considered. Evidence needed for equitable precision medicine cannot be generated without adequate data from all target populations, and the idea that research done in high-income countries will transfer adequately to low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) is problematic, as many migration studies and transethnic comparisons have shown. However, most data for precision medicine research are derived from people of European ancestry living in high-income countries. In this Series paper, we discuss the case for precision medicine for cardiometabolic diseases in LMICs, the barriers and enablers, and key considerations for implementation. We focus on three propositions: first, failure to explore and implement precision medicine for cardiometabolic disease in LMICs will enhance global health disparities. Second, some LMICs might already be placed to implement cardiometabolic precision medicine under appropriate circumstances, owing to progress made in treating infectious diseases. Third, improvements in population health from precision medicine are most probably asymptotic; the greatest gains are more likely to be obtained in countries where health-care systems are less developed. We outline key recommendations for implementation of precision medicine approaches in LMICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Misra
- Division of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK; Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Carlos A Aguilar-Salinas
- Dirección de Nutricion, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico; Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Monterrey, México
| | - Tinashe Chikowore
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Flemming Konradsen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ronald C W Ma
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; Chinese University of Hong Kong-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Research Centre in Diabetes Genomics and Precision Medicine, Hong Kong Institute of Diabetes and Obesity, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | | | - Viswanathan Mohan
- Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, ICMR Centre for Advanced Research in Diabetes, Chennai, India; Dr Mohan's Diabetes Specialties Centre, IDF Centre of Excellence in Diabetes Care, Chennai, India
| | | | - Moffat J Nyirenda
- MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Neo Tapela
- Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, Gaborone, Botswana; International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement, Oxford, UK
| | - Paul W Franks
- Novo Nordisk Foundation, Copenhagen, Denmark; Lund University Diabetes Centre, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden; Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
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11
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Gilliland T, Dunn M, Liu Y, Alcorn MD, Terada Y, Vasilatos S, Lundy J, Li R, Nambulli S, Larson D, Duprex P, Wu H, Luke T, Bausch C, Egland K, Sullivan E, Wang Z, Klimstra WB. Transchromosomic bovine-derived anti-SARS-CoV-2 polyclonal human antibodies protects hACE2 transgenic hamsters against multiple variants. iScience 2023; 26:107764. [PMID: 37736038 PMCID: PMC10509298 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Pandemic SARS-CoV-2 has undergone rapid evolution resulting in the emergence of many variants with mutations in the spike protein, some of which appear to evade antibody neutralization, transmit more efficiently, and/or exhibit altered virulence. This raises significant concerns regarding the efficacy of anti-S monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics which have failed against variant SARS-CoV-2 viruses. To address this concern, SAB-185, a human anti-SARS-CoV-2 polyclonal antibody was generated in the DiversitAb platform. SAB-185 exhibited equivalent, robust in vitro neutralization for Munich, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Δ144-146 variants and, although diminished, retained PRNT50 and PRNT80 neutralization endpoints for Delta and Omicron variants. Human ACE2 transgenic Syrian hamsters, which exhibit lethal SARS-CoV-2 disease, were protected from mortality after challenge with the Munich, Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Δ144-146 variants and clinical signs after non-lethal Omicron BA.1 infection. This suggests that SAB-185 may be an effective immunotherapy even in the presence of ongoing viral mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theron Gilliland
- Center for Vaccine Research and Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Matthew Dunn
- Center for Vaccine Research and Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Yanan Liu
- Department of Animal Dairy, Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84341, USA
| | - Maria D.H. Alcorn
- Center for Vaccine Research and Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Yutaka Terada
- Center for Vaccine Research and Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Shauna Vasilatos
- Center for Vaccine Research and Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Jeneveve Lundy
- Center for Vaccine Research and Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Rong Li
- Department of Animal Dairy, Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84341, USA
| | - Sham Nambulli
- Center for Vaccine Research and Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Deanna Larson
- Department of Animal Dairy, Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84341, USA
| | - Paul Duprex
- Center for Vaccine Research and Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Hua Wu
- SAb Biotherapeutics, Inc, Sioux Falls, SD 57104, USA
| | - Thomas Luke
- SAb Biotherapeutics, Inc, Sioux Falls, SD 57104, USA
| | | | - Kristi Egland
- SAb Biotherapeutics, Inc, Sioux Falls, SD 57104, USA
| | | | - Zhongde Wang
- Department of Animal Dairy, Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84341, USA
| | - William B. Klimstra
- Center for Vaccine Research and Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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12
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Chandiwana N, Kruger C, Richardson N, Nxumalo S, Mashilo N, Dineka Y, Mudau N, Johnstone H, Kim W, Ju C, Arbe-Barnes S, Marrast AC, Flynn J, Venter WDF. Community-based management of a five-arm randomised clinical trial in COVID-19 outpatients in South Africa: challenges and opportunities. Trials 2023; 24:635. [PMID: 37794489 PMCID: PMC10548657 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-023-07577-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Repeated COVID-19 waves and corresponding mitigation measures have impacted health systems globally with exceptional challenges. In response to the pandemic, researchers, regulators, and funders rapidly pivoted to COVID-19 research activities. However, many clinical drug studies were not completed, due to often complex and rapidly evolving research conditions. METHODS We outline our experience of planning and managing a randomised, adaptive, open-label, phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of four repurposed drug regimens versus standard-of-care (SOC) in outpatients with 'mild to moderate' COVID-19 in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the context of a partnership with multiple stakeholders. The study was conducted between 3 September 2020 and 23 August 2021 during changing COVID-19 restrictions, significant morbidity and mortality waves, and allied supply line, economic, and political instability. RESULTS Our clinical study design was pragmatic, including low-risk patients who were treated open label. There was built-in flexibility, including provision for some sample size adjustment and a range of secondary efficacy outcomes. Barriers to recruitment included the timing of waves, staff shortages due to illness, late presentation of patients, COVID-19 misinformation, and political unrest. Mitigations were the use of community health workers, deployment of mobile clinical units, and simplification of screening. Trial management required a radical reorganisation of logistics and processes to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions. These included the delivery of staff training and monitoring remotely, electronic consent, patient training and support to collect samples and report data at home, and the introduction of tele-medicine. These measures were successful for data collection, safe, and well received by patients. CONCLUSION Completing a COVID-19 trial in outpatients during the height of the pandemic required multiple innovations in nearly every aspect of clinical trial management, a high commitment level from study staff and patients, and support from study sponsors. Our experience has generated a more robust clinical research infrastructure, building in efficiencies to clinical trial management beyond the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nomathemba Chandiwana
- Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Building C, 32 Princess of Wales Terrace, Johannesburg, 2001, South Africa.
| | - Chelsea Kruger
- Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Building C, 32 Princess of Wales Terrace, Johannesburg, 2001, South Africa
| | | | - Sibongiseni Nxumalo
- Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Building C, 32 Princess of Wales Terrace, Johannesburg, 2001, South Africa
| | - Nkoleleng Mashilo
- Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Building C, 32 Princess of Wales Terrace, Johannesburg, 2001, South Africa
| | - Yengiwe Dineka
- Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Building C, 32 Princess of Wales Terrace, Johannesburg, 2001, South Africa
| | - Ntanganedzeni Mudau
- Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Building C, 32 Princess of Wales Terrace, Johannesburg, 2001, South Africa
| | | | - Wookyung Kim
- Shin Poong Pharm. Co. Ltd, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chung Ju
- Shin Poong Pharm. Co. Ltd, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Clinical Pharmacy, CHA University, Pocheon-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Julia Flynn
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Willem D Francois Venter
- Ezintsha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Building C, 32 Princess of Wales Terrace, Johannesburg, 2001, South Africa
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13
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Zhan Q, Solo-Gabriele HM, Sharkey ME, Amirali A, Beaver CC, Boone MM, Comerford S, Cooper D, Cortizas EM, Cosculluela GA, Currall BB, Grills GS, Kobetz E, Kumar N, Laine J, Lamar WE, Lyu J, Mason CE, Reding BD, Roca MA, Schürer SC, Shukla BS, Solle NS, Suarez MM, Stevenson M, Tallon JJ, Thomas C, Vidović D, Williams SL, Yin X, Zarnegarnia Y, Babler KM. Correlative analysis of wastewater trends with clinical cases and hospitalizations through five dominant variant waves of COVID-19. ACS ES&T WATER 2023; 3:2849-2862. [PMID: 38487696 PMCID: PMC10936583 DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.3c00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has been utilized to track community infections of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by detecting RNA of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), within samples collected from wastewater. The correlations between community infections and wastewater measurements of the RNA can potentially change as SARS-CoV-2 evolves into new variations by mutating. This study analyzed SARS-CoV-2 RNA, and indicators of human waste in wastewater from two sewersheds of different scales (University of Miami (UM) campus and Miami-Dade County Central District wastewater treatment plant (CDWWTP)) during five internally defined COVID-19 variant dominant periods (Initial, Pre-Delta, Delta, Omicron and Post-Omicron wave). SARS-CoV-2 RNA quantities were compared against COVID-19 clinical cases and hospitalizations to evaluate correlations with wastewater SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Although correlations between documented clinical cases and hospitalizations were high, prevalence for a given wastewater SARS-CoV-2 level varied depending upon the variant analyzed. The correlative relationship was significantly steeper (more cases per level found in wastewater) for the Omicron-dominated period. For hospitalization, the relationships were steepest for the Initial wave, followed by the Delta wave with flatter slopes during all other waves. Overall results were interpreted in the context of SARS-CoV-2 virulence and vaccination rates among the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyu Zhan
- Department of Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146 USA
| | - Helena Maria Solo-Gabriele
- Department of Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146 USA
| | - Mark E. Sharkey
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, 33136 FL USA
| | - Ayaaz Amirali
- Department of Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146 USA
| | - Cynthia C. Beaver
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Melinda M. Boone
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Samuel Comerford
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, 33136 FL USA
| | | | - Elena M. Cortizas
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Gabriella A. Cosculluela
- Department of Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146 USA
| | - Benjamin B. Currall
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - George S. Grills
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Erin Kobetz
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, 33136 FL USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Naresh Kumar
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Jennifer Laine
- Environmental Health and Safety, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Walter E. Lamar
- Division of Occupational Health, Safety & Compliance, University of Miami Health System, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Jiangnan Lyu
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Christopher E. Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, NY 10021 USA
- The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
- The WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Brian D. Reding
- Environmental Health and Safety, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Matthew A. Roca
- Department of Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146 USA
| | - Stephan C. Schürer
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicines, Miami, FL 33136 USA
- Institute for Data Science & Computing, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146 USA
| | - Bhavarth S. Shukla
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, 33136 FL USA
| | - Natasha Schaefer Solle
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, 33136 FL USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Maritza M. Suarez
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, 33136 FL USA
| | - Mario Stevenson
- Department of Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146 USA
| | - John J. Tallon
- Facilities and Operations, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146 USA
| | - Collette Thomas
- Department of Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146 USA
| | - Dušica Vidović
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicines, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Sion L. Williams
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Xue Yin
- Department of Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146 USA
| | - Yalda Zarnegarnia
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Kristina Marie Babler
- Department of Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146 USA
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14
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Oguzie JU, Petros BA, Oluniyi PE, Mehta SB, Eromon PE, Nair P, Adewale-Fasoro O, Ifoga PD, Odia I, Pastusiak A, Gbemisola OS, Aiyepada JO, Uyigue EA, Edamhande AP, Blessing O, Airende M, Tomkins-Tinch C, Qu J, Stenson L, Schaffner SF, Oyejide N, Ajayi NA, Ojide K, Ogah O, Abejegah C, Adedosu N, Ayodeji O, Liasu AA, Okogbenin S, Okokhere PO, Park DJ, Folarin OA, Komolafe I, Ihekweazu C, Frost SDW, Jackson EK, Siddle KJ, Sabeti PC, Happi CT. Metagenomic surveillance uncovers diverse and novel viral taxa in febrile patients from Nigeria. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4693. [PMID: 37542071 PMCID: PMC10403498 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40247-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Effective infectious disease surveillance in high-risk regions is critical for clinical care and pandemic preemption; however, few clinical diagnostics are available for the wide range of potential human pathogens. Here, we conduct unbiased metagenomic sequencing of 593 samples from febrile Nigerian patients collected in three settings: i) population-level surveillance of individuals presenting with symptoms consistent with Lassa Fever (LF); ii) real-time investigations of outbreaks with suspected infectious etiologies; and iii) undiagnosed clinically challenging cases. We identify 13 distinct viruses, including the second and third documented cases of human blood-associated dicistrovirus, and a highly divergent, unclassified dicistrovirus that we name human blood-associated dicistrovirus 2. We show that pegivirus C is a common co-infection in individuals with LF and is associated with lower Lassa viral loads and favorable outcomes. We help uncover the causes of three outbreaks as yellow fever virus, monkeypox virus, and a noninfectious cause, the latter ultimately determined to be pesticide poisoning. We demonstrate that a local, Nigerian-driven metagenomics response to complex public health scenarios generates accurate, real-time differential diagnoses, yielding insights that inform policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith U Oguzie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Brittany A Petros
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology PhD Program, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Paul E Oluniyi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Samar B Mehta
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MA, USA
| | - Philomena E Eromon
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Parvathy Nair
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Opeoluwa Adewale-Fasoro
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Peace Damilola Ifoga
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Ikponmwosa Odia
- Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria
| | | | - Otitoola Shobi Gbemisola
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | | | | | | | - Osiemi Blessing
- Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria
| | - Michael Airende
- Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria
| | - Christopher Tomkins-Tinch
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - James Qu
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Liam Stenson
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Nicholas Oyejide
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Nnenna A Ajayi
- Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria
| | - Kingsley Ojide
- Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria
| | - Onwe Ogah
- Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Daniel J Park
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Onikepe A Folarin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Isaac Komolafe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | | | - Simon D W Frost
- Microsoft Premonition, Redmond, WA, USA
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Katherine J Siddle
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Pardis C Sabeti
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Christian T Happi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria.
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria.
- Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria.
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
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15
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Reichmuth ML, Hodcroft EB, Althaus CL. Importation of Alpha and Delta variants during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Switzerland: Phylogenetic analysis and intervention scenarios. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011553. [PMID: 37561788 PMCID: PMC10443857 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to the emergence of various variants of concern (VoCs) that are associated with increased transmissibility, immune evasion, or differences in disease severity. The emergence of VoCs fueled interest in understanding the potential impact of travel restrictions and surveillance strategies to prevent or delay the early spread of VoCs. We performed phylogenetic analyses and mathematical modeling to study the importation and spread of the VoCs Alpha and Delta in Switzerland in 2020 and 2021. Using a phylogenetic approach, we estimated between 383-1,038 imports of Alpha and 455-1,347 imports of Delta into Switzerland. We then used the results from the phylogenetic analysis to parameterize a dynamic transmission model that accurately described the subsequent spread of Alpha and Delta. We modeled different counterfactual intervention scenarios to quantify the potential impact of border closures and surveillance of travelers on the spread of Alpha and Delta. We found that implementing border closures after the announcement of VoCs would have been of limited impact to mitigate the spread of VoCs. In contrast, increased surveillance of travelers could prove to be an effective measure for delaying the spread of VoCs in situations where their severity remains unclear. Our study shows how phylogenetic analysis in combination with dynamic transmission models can be used to estimate the number of imported SARS-CoV-2 variants and the potential impact of different intervention scenarios to inform the public health response during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina L. Reichmuth
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Emma B. Hodcroft
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Christian L. Althaus
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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16
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Fang L, Xu J, Zhao Y, Fan J, Shen J, Liu W, Cao G. The effects of amino acid substitution of spike protein and genomic recombination on the evolution of SARS-CoV-2. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1228128. [PMID: 37560529 PMCID: PMC10409611 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1228128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Over three years' pandemic of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), multiple variants and novel subvariants have emerged successively, outcompeted earlier variants and become predominant. The sequential emergence of variants reflects the evolutionary process of mutation-selection-adaption of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Amino acid substitution/insertion/deletion in the spike protein causes altered viral antigenicity, transmissibility, and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2. Early in the pandemic, D614G mutation conferred virus with advantages over previous variants and increased transmissibility, and it also laid a conservative background for subsequent substantial mutations. The role of genomic recombination in the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 raised increasing concern with the occurrence of novel recombinants such as Deltacron, XBB.1.5, XBB.1.9.1, and XBB.1.16 in the late phase of pandemic. Co-circulation of different variants and co-infection in immunocompromised patients accelerate the emergence of recombinants. Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 genomic variations, particularly spike protein mutation and recombination, is essential to identify ongoing changes in the viral genome and antigenic epitopes and thus leads to the development of new vaccine strategies and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letian Fang
- Key Laboratory of Biological Defense, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Bioprotection, Shanghai, China
- Department of Epidemiology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Xu
- Department of Foreign Languages, International Exchange Center for Military Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Biological Defense, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Bioprotection, Shanghai, China
- Department of Epidemiology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junyan Fan
- Key Laboratory of Biological Defense, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Bioprotection, Shanghai, China
- Department of Epidemiology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiaying Shen
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenbin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biological Defense, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Bioprotection, Shanghai, China
- Department of Epidemiology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guangwen Cao
- Key Laboratory of Biological Defense, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Bioprotection, Shanghai, China
- Department of Epidemiology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
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17
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Mabuka T, Naidoo N, Ncube N, Yiga T, Ross M, Kurehwa K, Nare Nyathi M, Silaji A, Ndemera T, Lemeke T, Taiwo R, Macharia W, Sithole M. The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Lineages (Variants) and COVID-19 Vaccination on the COVID-19 Epidemic in South Africa: Regression Study. JMIRX MED 2023; 4:e34598. [PMID: 37463043 PMCID: PMC10337479 DOI: 10.2196/34598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Background Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants have been attributed to the occurrence of secondary, tertiary, quaternary, and quinary COVID-19 epidemic waves threatening vaccine efforts owing to their immune invasiveness. Since the importation of SARS-CoV-2 in South Africa, with the first reported COVID-19 case on March 5, 2020, South Africa has observed 5 consecutive COVID-19 epidemic waves. The evolution of SARS-CoV-2 has played a major role in the resurgence of COVID-19 epidemic waves in South Africa and across the globe. Objective We aimed to conduct descriptive and inferential statistical analysis on South African COVID-19 epidemiological data to investigate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 lineages and COVID-19 vaccinations in South African COVID-19 epidemiology. Methods The general methodology involved the collation and stratification, covariance, regression analysis, normalization, and comparative inferential statistical analysis through null hypothesis testing (paired 2-tailed t tests) of South African COVID-19 epidemiological data. Results The mean daily positive COVID-19 tests in South Africa's first, second, third, fourth, and fifth COVID-19 epidemic wave periods were 11.5% (SD 8.58%), 11.5% (SD 8.45%), 13.3% (SD 9.72%), 13.1% (SD 9.91%), and 14.3% (SD 8.49%), respectively. The COVID-19 transmission rate in the first and second COVID-19 epidemic waves in South Africa was similar, while the COVID-19 transmission rate was higher in the third, fourth, and fifth COVID-19 epidemic waves than in the aforementioned waves. Most COVID-19 hospitalized cases in South Africa were in the general ward (60%-79.1%). Patients with COVID-19 on oxygen were the second-largest admission status (11.2%-16.8%), followed by patients with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit (8.07%-16.7%). Most patients hospitalized owing to COVID-19 in South Africa's first, second, third, and fourth COVID-19 epidemic waves were aged between 40 and 49 years (16.8%-20.4%) and 50 and 59 years (19.8%-25.3%). Patients admitted to the hospital owing to COVID-19 in the age groups of 0 to 19 years were relatively low (1.98%-4.59%). In general, COVID-19 hospital admissions in South Africa for the age groups between 0 and 29 years increased after each consecutive COVID-19 epidemic wave, while for age groups between 30 and 79 years, hospital admissions decreased. Most COVID-19 hospitalization deaths in South Africa in the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth COVID-19 epidemic waves were in the ages of 50 to 59 years (15.8%-24.8%), 60 to 69 years (15.9%-29.5%), and 70 to 79 years (16.6%-20.7%). Conclusions The relaxation of COVID-19 nonpharmaceutical intervention health policies in South Africa and the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 were associated with increased COVID-19 transmission and severity in the South African population. COVID-19 vaccination in South Africa was strongly associated with a decrease in COVID-19 hospitalization and severity in South Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thabo Mabuka
- The Afrikan Research Initiative Motloung South Africa
| | | | - Nesisa Ncube
- The Afrikan Research Initiative Motloung South Africa
| | - Thabo Yiga
- The Afrikan Research Initiative Motloung South Africa
| | - Michael Ross
- The Afrikan Research Initiative Motloung South Africa
| | | | | | - Andrea Silaji
- The Afrikan Research Initiative Motloung South Africa
| | | | | | - Ridwan Taiwo
- The Afrikan Research Initiative Motloung South Africa
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18
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Kuzmina A, Korovin D, Cohen Lass I, Atari N, Ottolenghi A, Hu P, Mandelboim M, Rosental B, Rosenberg E, Diaz-Griffero F, Taube R. Changes within the P681 residue of spike dictate cell fusion and syncytia formation of Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 with no effects on neutralization or infectivity. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16750. [PMID: 37292300 PMCID: PMC10238279 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid spread and dominance of the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 lineages have posed severe health challenges worldwide. While extensive research on the role of the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) in promoting viral infectivity and vaccine sensitivity has been well documented, the functional significance of the 681PRRAR/SV687 polybasic motif of the viral spike is less clear. In this work, we monitored the infectivity levels and neutralization potential of the wild-type human coronavirus 2019 (hCoV-19), Delta, and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses against sera samples drawn four months post administration of a third dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. Our findings show that in comparison to hCoV-19 and Delta SARS-CoV-2, Omicron lineages BA.1 and BA.2 exhibit enhanced infectivity and a sharp decline in their sensitivity to vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies. Interestingly, P681 mutations within the viral spike do not play a role in the neutralization potential or infectivity of SARS Cov-2 pseudoviruses carrying mutations in this position. The P681 residue however, dictates the ability of the spike protein to promote fusion and syncytia formation between infected cells. While spike from hCoV-19 (P681) and Omicron (H681) promote only modest cell fusion and formation of syncytia between cells that express the spike-protein, Delta spike (R681) displays enhanced fusogenic activity and promotes syncytia formation. Additional analysis shows that a single P681R mutation within the hCoV-19 spike, or H681R within the Omicron spike, restores fusion potential to similar levels observed for the Delta R681 spike. Conversely, R681P point mutation within the spike of Delta pseudovirus abolishes efficient fusion and syncytia formation. Our investigation also demonstrates that spike proteins from hCoV-19 and Delta SARS-CoV-2 are efficiently incorporated into viral particles relative to the spike of Omicron lineages. We conclude that the third dose of the Pfizer-BNT162b2 provides appreciable protection against the newly emerged Omicron sub-lineages. However, the neutralization sensitivity of these new variants is diminished relative to that of the hCoV-19 or Delta SARS-CoV-2. We further show that the P681 residue within spike dictates cell fusion and syncytia formation with no effects on the infectivity of the specific viral variant and on its sensitivity to vaccine-mediated neutralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alona Kuzmina
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology Immunology and Genetics Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | - Dina Korovin
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology Immunology and Genetics Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | - Ido Cohen Lass
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology Immunology and Genetics Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | - Nofar Atari
- Central Virology Laboratory, Public Health Services, Ministry of Health and Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Aner Ottolenghi
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology Immunology and Genetics Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
- Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | - Pan Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Michal Mandelboim
- Central Virology Laboratory, Public Health Services, Ministry of Health and Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Benyamin Rosental
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology Immunology and Genetics Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
- Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | | | - Felipe Diaz-Griffero
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Ran Taube
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology Immunology and Genetics Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
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19
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Martínez-Martínez FJ, Massinga AJ, De Jesus Á, Ernesto RM, Cano-Jiménez P, Chiner-Oms Á, Gómez-Navarro I, Guillot-Fernández M, Guinovart C, Sitoe A, Vubil D, Bila R, Gujamo R, Enosse S, Jiménez-Serrano S, Torres-Puente M, Comas I, Mandomando I, López MG, Mayor A. Tracking SARS-CoV-2 introductions in Mozambique using pandemic-scale phylogenies: a retrospective observational study. Lancet Glob Health 2023; 11:e933-e941. [PMID: 37202028 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(23)00169-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND From the start of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, global sequencing efforts have generated an unprecedented amount of genomic data. Nonetheless, unequal sampling between high-income and low-income countries hinders the implementation of genomic surveillance systems at the global and local level. Filling the knowledge gaps of genomic information and understanding pandemic dynamics in low-income countries is essential for public health decision making and to prepare for future pandemics. In this context, we aimed to discover the timing and origin of SARS-CoV-2 variant introductions in Mozambique, taking advantage of pandemic-scale phylogenies. METHODS We did a retrospective, observational study in southern Mozambique. Patients from Manhiça presenting with respiratory symptoms were recruited, and those enrolled in clinical trials were excluded. Data were included from three sources: (1) a prospective hospital-based surveillance study (MozCOVID), recruiting patients living in Manhiça, attending the Manhiça district hospital, and fulfilling the criteria of suspected COVID-19 case according to WHO; (2) symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection recruited by the National Surveillance system; and (3) sequences from SARS-CoV-2-infected Mozambican cases deposited on the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data database. Positive samples amenable for sequencing were analysed. We used Ultrafast Sample placement on Existing tRees to understand the dynamics of beta and delta waves, using available genomic data. This tool can reconstruct a phylogeny with millions of sequences by efficient sample placement in a tree. We reconstructed a phylogeny (~7·6 million sequences) adding new and publicly available beta and delta sequences. FINDINGS A total of 5793 patients were recruited between Nov 1, 2020, and Aug 31, 2021. During this time, 133 328 COVID-19 cases were reported in Mozambique. 280 good quality new SARS-CoV-2 sequences were obtained after the inclusion criteria were applied and an additional 652 beta (B.1.351) and delta (B.1.617.2) public sequences were included from Mozambique. We evaluated 373 beta and 559 delta sequences. We identified 187 beta introductions (including 295 sequences), divided in 42 transmission groups and 145 unique introductions, mostly from South Africa, between August, 2020 and July, 2021. For delta, we identified 220 introductions (including 494 sequences), with 49 transmission groups and 171 unique introductions, mostly from the UK, India, and South Africa, between April and November, 2021. INTERPRETATION The timing and origin of introductions suggests that movement restrictions effectively avoided introductions from non-African countries, but not from surrounding countries. Our results raise questions about the imbalance between the consequences of restrictions and health benefits. This new understanding of pandemic dynamics in Mozambique can be used to inform public health interventions to control the spread of new variants. FUNDING European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials, European Research Council, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco José Martínez-Martínez
- Tuberculosis Genomics Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Áuria De Jesus
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Rita M Ernesto
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Pablo Cano-Jiménez
- Tuberculosis Genomics Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain
| | - Álvaro Chiner-Oms
- Tuberculosis Genomics Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Gómez-Navarro
- Tuberculosis Genomics Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marina Guillot-Fernández
- Tuberculosis Genomics Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - António Sitoe
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Delfino Vubil
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Rubão Bila
- Hospital Distrital da Manhiça, Marracuene, Mozambique
| | | | - Sónia Enosse
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde, Marracuene, Mozambique
| | - Santiago Jiménez-Serrano
- Tuberculosis Genomics Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain
| | - Manuela Torres-Puente
- Tuberculosis Genomics Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain
| | - Iñaki Comas
- Tuberculosis Genomics Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Inácio Mandomando
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique; Instituto Nacional de Saúde, Marracuene, Mozambique
| | - Mariana G López
- Tuberculosis Genomics Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Alfredo Mayor
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique; ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Department of Physiologic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique
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20
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Anoh EA, Wayoro O, Monemo P, Belarbi E, Sachse A, Wilkinson E, San JE, Leendertz FH, Diané B, Calvignac-Spencer S, Akoua-Koffi C, Schubert G. Subregional origins of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants during the second pandemic wave in Côte d'Ivoire. Virus Genes 2023; 59:370-376. [PMID: 36932280 PMCID: PMC10023306 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-023-01984-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants with increased transmissibility, virulence and immune escape abilities have heavily altered the COVID-19 pandemic's course. Deciphering local and global transmission patterns of those variants is thus key in building a profound understanding of the virus' spread around the globe. In the present study, we investigate SARS-CoV-2 variant epidemiology in Côte d'Ivoire, Western sub-Saharan Africa. We therefore generated 234 full SARS-CoV-2 genomes stemming from Central and Northern Côte d'Ivoire. Covering the first and second pandemic wave the country had been facing, we identified 20 viral lineages and showed that in Côte d'Ivoire the second pandemic wave in 2021 was driven by the spread of the Alpha (B.1.1.7) and Eta (B.1.525) variant. Our analyses are consistent with a limited number of international introductions of Alpha and Eta into Côte d'Ivoire, and those introduction events mostly stemmed from within the West African subregion. This suggests that subregional travel to Côte d'Ivoire had more impact on local pandemic waves than direct intercontinental travel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etilé A Anoh
- Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Bouaké, Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Oby Wayoro
- Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Bouaké, Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Pacôme Monemo
- Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Bouaké, Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire
- Université Alassane Ouattara de Bouaké, Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Essia Belarbi
- Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Sachse
- Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for One Health, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Eduan Wilkinson
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School for Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - James E San
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Fabian H Leendertz
- Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for One Health, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Bamourou Diané
- Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Bouaké, Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire
| | | | - Chantal Akoua-Koffi
- Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Bouaké, Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire
- Université Alassane Ouattara de Bouaké, Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Grit Schubert
- Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
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21
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Subramoney K, Mtileni N, Giandhari J, Naidoo Y, Ramphal Y, Pillay S, Ramphal U, Maharaj A, Tshiabuila D, Tegally H, Wilkinson E, de Oliveira T, Fielding BC, Treurnicht FK. Molecular Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 during Five COVID-19 Waves and the Significance of Low-Frequency Lineages. Viruses 2023; 15:v15051194. [PMID: 37243279 PMCID: PMC10223853 DOI: 10.3390/v15051194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 lineages and variants of concern (VOC) have gained more efficient transmission and immune evasion properties with time. We describe the circulation of VOCs in South Africa and the potential role of low-frequency lineages on the emergence of future lineages. Whole genome sequencing was performed on SARS-CoV-2 samples from South Africa. Sequences were analysed with Nextstrain pangolin tools and Stanford University Coronavirus Antiviral & Resistance Database. In 2020, 24 lineages were detected, with B.1 (3%; 8/278), B.1.1 (16%; 45/278), B.1.1.348 (3%; 8/278), B.1.1.52 (5%; 13/278), C.1 (13%; 37/278) and C.2 (2%; 6/278) circulating during the first wave. Beta emerged late in 2020, dominating the second wave of infection. B.1 and B.1.1 continued to circulate at low frequencies in 2021 and B.1.1 re-emerged in 2022. Beta was outcompeted by Delta in 2021, which was thereafter outcompeted by Omicron sub-lineages during the 4th and 5th waves in 2022. Several significant mutations identified in VOCs were also detected in low-frequency lineages, including S68F (E protein); I82T (M protein); P13L, R203K and G204R/K (N protein); R126S (ORF3a); P323L (RdRp); and N501Y, E484K, D614G, H655Y and N679K (S protein). Low-frequency variants, together with VOCs circulating, may lead to convergence and the emergence of future lineages that may increase transmissibility, infectivity and escape vaccine-induced or natural host immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Subramoney
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
- Department of Virology, National Health Laboratory Service, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
- Centre for Vaccines and Immunology, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg 2131, South Africa
| | - Nkhensani Mtileni
- Department of Virology, National Health Laboratory Service, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
| | - Jennifer Giandhari
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Yeshnee Naidoo
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Yajna Ramphal
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Sureshnee Pillay
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Upasana Ramphal
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Akhil Maharaj
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Derek Tshiabuila
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Houriiyah Tegally
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Eduan Wilkinson
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Tulio de Oliveira
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Burtram C Fielding
- Molecular Biology and Virology Research Laboratory, Department of Medical BioSciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
| | - Florette K Treurnicht
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
- Department of Virology, National Health Laboratory Service, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
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22
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Paulino-Ramírez R, López P, Mueses S, Cuevas P, Jabier M, Rivera-Amill V. Genomic Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Variants in the Dominican Republic and Emergence of a Local Lineage. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:ijerph20085503. [PMID: 37107785 PMCID: PMC10138544 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20085503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an RNA virus that evolves over time, leading to new variants. In the current study, we assessed the genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in the Dominican Republic. A total of 1149 SARS-CoV-2 complete genome nucleotide sequences from samples collected between March 2020 and mid-February 2022 in the Dominican Republic were obtained from the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) database. Phylogenetic relationships and evolution rates were analyzed using the maximum likelihood method and the Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach. The genotyping details (lineages) were obtained using the Pangolin web application. In addition, the web tools Coronapp, and Genome Detective Viral Tools, among others, were used to monitor epidemiological characteristics. Our results show that the most frequent non-synonymous mutation over the study period was D614G. Of the 1149 samples, 870 (75.74%) were classified into 8 relevant variants according to Pangolin/Scorpio. The first Variants Being Monitored (VBM) were detected in December 2020. Meanwhile, in 2021, the variants of concern Delta and Omicron were identified. The mean mutation rate was estimated to be 1.5523 × 10-3 (95% HPD: 1.2358 × 10-3, 1.8635 × 10-3) nucleotide substitutions per site. We also report the emergence of an autochthonous SARS-CoV-2 lineage, B.1.575.2, that circulated from October 2021 to January 2022, in co-circulation with the variants of concern Delta and Omicron. The impact of B.1.575.2 in the Dominican Republic was minimal, but it then expanded rapidly in Spain. A better understanding of viral evolution and genomic surveillance data will help to inform strategies to mitigate the impact on public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Paulino-Ramírez
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical y Salud Global, Universidad Iberoamericana, Research Hub, Santo Domingo 22333, Dominican Republic
- Correspondence:
| | - Pablo López
- RCMI Center for Research Resources, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, PR 00716-2348, USA (V.R.-A.)
| | - Sayira Mueses
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical y Salud Global, Universidad Iberoamericana, Research Hub, Santo Domingo 22333, Dominican Republic
| | - Paula Cuevas
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical y Salud Global, Universidad Iberoamericana, Research Hub, Santo Domingo 22333, Dominican Republic
| | - Maridania Jabier
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical y Salud Global, Universidad Iberoamericana, Research Hub, Santo Domingo 22333, Dominican Republic
- Servicio Nacional de Salud (SNS), Ministry of Health, Santo Domingo 10201, Dominican Republic
| | - Vanessa Rivera-Amill
- RCMI Center for Research Resources, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, PR 00716-2348, USA (V.R.-A.)
- Basic Sciences Department, School of Medicine, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, PR 00716-2348, USA
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23
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Padasas BT, Españo E, Kim SH, Song Y, Lee CK, Kim JK. COVID-19 Therapeutics: An Update on Effective Treatments Against Infection With SARS-CoV-2 Variants. Immune Netw 2023; 23:e13. [PMID: 37179752 PMCID: PMC10166656 DOI: 10.4110/in.2023.23.e13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is one of the most consequential global health crises in over a century. Since its discovery in 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to mutate into different variants and sublineages, rendering previously potent treatments and vaccines ineffective. With significant strides in clinical and pharmaceutical research, different therapeutic strategies continue to be developed. The currently available treatments can be broadly classified based on their potential targets and molecular mechanisms. Antiviral agents function by disrupting different stages of SARS-CoV-2 infection, while immune-based treatments mainly act on the human inflammatory response responsible for disease severity. In this review, we discuss some of the current treatments for COVID-19, their mode of actions, and their efficacy against variants of concern. This review highlights the need to constantly evaluate COVID-19 treatment strategies to protect high risk populations and fill in the gaps left by vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erica Españo
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University College of Pharmacy, Sejong 30019, Korea
| | - Sang-Hyun Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University College of Pharmacy, Sejong 30019, Korea
| | - Youngcheon Song
- Department of Pharmacy, Sahmyook University, Seoul 01795, Korea
| | - Chong-Kil Lee
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Jeong-Ki Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University College of Pharmacy, Sejong 30019, Korea
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24
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Xiao H, Hu J, Huang C, Feng W, Liu Y, Kumblathan T, Tao J, Xu J, Le XC, Zhang H. CRISPR techniques and potential for the detection and discrimination of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Trends Analyt Chem 2023; 161:117000. [PMID: 36937152 PMCID: PMC9977466 DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2023.117000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
The continuing evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has led to the emergence of many variants, including variants of concern (VOCs). CRISPR-Cas systems have been used to develop techniques for the detection of variants. These techniques have focused on the detection of variant-specific mutations in the spike protein gene of SARS-CoV-2. These sequences mostly carry single-nucleotide mutations and are difficult to differentiate using a single CRISPR-based assay. Here we discuss the specificity of the Cas9, Cas12, and Cas13 systems, important considerations of mutation sites, design of guide RNA, and recent progress in CRISPR-based assays for SARS-CoV-2 variants. Strategies for discriminating single-nucleotide mutations include optimizing the position of mismatches, modifying nucleotides in the guide RNA, and using two guide RNAs to recognize the specific mutation sequence and a conservative sequence. Further research is needed to confront challenges in the detection and differentiation of variants and sublineages of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical diagnostic and point-of-care applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huyan Xiao
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Jianyu Hu
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Camille Huang
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Wei Feng
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Yanming Liu
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Teresa Kumblathan
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Jeffrey Tao
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Jingyang Xu
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - X Chris Le
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Hongquan Zhang
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G3, Canada
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25
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Ong'era EM, Mohammed KS, Makori TO, Bejon P, Ocholla-Oyier LI, Nokes DJ, Agoti CN, Githinji G. High-throughput sequencing approaches applied to SARS-CoV-2. Wellcome Open Res 2023. [DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.18701.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
High-throughput sequencing is crucial for surveillance and control of viral outbreaks. During the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, advances in the high-throughput sequencing technology resources have enhanced diagnosis, surveillance, and vaccine discovery. From the onset of the pandemic in December 2019, several genome-sequencing approaches have been developed and supported across the major sequencing platforms such as Illumina, Oxford Nanopore, PacBio, MGI DNBSEQTM and Ion Torrent. Here, we share insights from the sequencing approaches developed for sequencing of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) between December 2019 and October 2022.
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26
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Gasparini P, Philot EA, Pantaleão SQ, Torres-Bonfim NESM, Kliousoff A, Quiroz RCN, Perahia D, Simões RP, Magro AJ, Scott AL. Unveiling mutation effects on the structural dynamics of the main protease from SARS-CoV-2 with hybrid simulation methods. J Mol Graph Model 2023; 121:108443. [PMID: 36870228 PMCID: PMC9945984 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2023.108443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
The main protease of SARS-CoV-2 (called Mpro or 3CLpro) is essential for processing polyproteins encoded by viral RNA. Several Mpro mutations were found in SARS-CoV-2 variants, which are related to higher transmissibility, pathogenicity, and resistance to neutralization antibodies. Macromolecules adopt several favored conformations in solution depending on their structure and shape, determining their dynamics and function. In this study, we used a hybrid simulation method to generate intermediate structures along the six lowest frequency normal modes and sample the conformational space and characterize the structural dynamics and global motions of WT SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and 48 mutations, including mutations found in P.1, B.1.1.7, B.1.351, B.1.525 and B.1.429+B.1.427 variants. We tried to contribute to the elucidation of the effects of mutation in the structural dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. A machine learning analysis was performed following the investigation regarding the influence of the K90R, P99L, P108S, and N151D mutations on the dimeric interface assembling of the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. The parameters allowed the selection of potential structurally stable dimers, which demonstrated that some single surface aa substitutions not located at the dimeric interface (K90R, P99L, P108S, and N151D) are able to induce significant quaternary changes. Furthermore, our results demonstrated, by a Quantum Mechanics method, the influence of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro mutations on the catalytic mechanism, confirming that only one of the chains of the WT and mutant SARS-CoV-2 Mpros are prone to cleave substrates. Finally, it was also possible to identify the aa residue F140 as an important factor related to the increasing enzymatic reactivity of a significant number of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro conformations generated by the normal modes-based simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Gasparini
- Computational Biology and Biophysics Laboratory, Federal University of ABC - UFABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - E A Philot
- Computational Biology and Biophysics Laboratory, Federal University of ABC - UFABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - S Q Pantaleão
- Computational Biology and Biophysics Laboratory, Federal University of ABC - UFABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - N E S M Torres-Bonfim
- Computational Biology and Biophysics Laboratory, Federal University of ABC - UFABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - A Kliousoff
- Computational Biology and Biophysics Laboratory, Federal University of ABC - UFABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - R C N Quiroz
- Computational Biology and Biophysics Laboratory, Federal University of ABC - UFABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - D Perahia
- École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, LBPA, Scaly, France
| | - R P Simões
- Department of Bioprocesses and Biotechnology, School of Agriculture (FCA), Unesp, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - A J Magro
- Department of Bioprocesses and Biotechnology, School of Agriculture (FCA), Unesp, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil; Institute of Biotechnology (IBTEC), Unesp, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - A L Scott
- Computational Biology and Biophysics Laboratory, Federal University of ABC - UFABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil.
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27
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Evaluating Data Sharing of SARS-CoV-2 Genomes for Molecular Epidemiology across the COVID-19 Pandemic. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020560. [PMID: 36851774 PMCID: PMC9959893 DOI: 10.3390/v15020560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Following the emergence of COVID-19 in December 2019, caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the disease spread dramatically worldwide. The use of genomics to trace the dissemination of the virus and the identification of novel variants was essential in defining measures for containing the disease. We aim to evaluate the global effort to genomically characterize the circulating lineages of SARS-CoV-2, considering the data deposited in GISAID, the major platform for data sharing in a massive worldwide collaborative undertaking. We contextualize data for nearly three years (January 2020-October 2022) for the major contributing countries, percentage of characterized isolates and time for data processing in the context of the global pandemic. Within this collaborative effort, we also evaluated the early detection of seven major SARS-CoV-2 lineages, G, GR, GH, GK, GV, GRY and GRA. While Europe and the USA, following an initial period, showed positive results across time in terms of cases sequenced and time for data deposition, this effort is heterogeneous worldwide. Given the current immunization the major threat is the appearance of variants that evade the acquired immunity. In that scenario, the monitoring of those hypothetical variants will still play an essential role.
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28
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Escalera-Zamudio M, Kosakovsky Pond SL, de la Viña NM, Gutiérrez B, Inward RPD, Thézé J, van Dorp L, Castelán-Sánchez HG, Bowden TA, Pybus OG, Hulswit RJG. Identification of evolutionary trajectories shared across human betacoronaviruses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2021.05.24.445313. [PMID: 34075377 PMCID: PMC8168386 DOI: 10.1101/2021.05.24.445313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Comparing the evolution of distantly related viruses can provide insights into common adaptive processes related to shared ecological niches. Phylogenetic approaches, coupled with other molecular evolution tools, can help identify mutations informative on adaptation, whilst the structural contextualization of these to functional sites of proteins may help gain insight into their biological properties. Two zoonotic betacoronaviruses capable of sustained human-to-human transmission have caused pandemics in recent times (SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2), whilst a third virus (MERS-CoV) is responsible for sporadic outbreaks linked to animal infections. Moreover, two other betacoronaviruses have circulated endemically in humans for decades (HKU1 and OC43). To search for evidence of adaptive convergence between established and emerging betacoronaviruses capable of sustained human-to-human transmission (HKU1, OC43, SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2), we developed a methodological pipeline to classify shared non-synonymous mutations as putatively denoting homoplasy (repeated mutations that do not share direct common ancestry) or stepwise evolution (sequential mutations leading towards a novel genotype). In parallel, we look for evidence of positive selection, and draw upon protein structure data to identify potential biological implications. We find 30 mutations, with four of these [codon sites 18121 (nsp14/residue 28), 21623 (spike/21), 21635 (spike/25) and 23948 (spike/796); SARS-CoV-2 genome numbering] displaying evolution under positive selection and proximity to functional protein regions. Our findings shed light on potential mechanisms underlying betacoronavirus adaptation to the human host and pinpoint common mutational pathways that may occur during establishment of human endemicity.
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29
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Hanifa M, Salman M, Fatima M, Mukhtar N, Almajhdi FN, Zaman N, Suleman M, Ali SS, Waheed Y, Khan A. Mutational analysis of the spike protein of SARS-COV-2 isolates revealed atomistic features responsible for higher binding and infectivity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 10:940863. [PMID: 36733340 PMCID: PMC9888553 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.940863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The perpetual appearance of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2), and its new variants devastated the public health and social fabric around the world. Understanding the genomic patterns and connecting them to phenotypic attributes is of great interest to devise a treatment strategy to control this pandemic. Materials and Methods: In this regard, computational methods to understand the evolution, dynamics and mutational spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 and its new variants are significantly important. Thus, herein, we used computational methods to screen the genomes of SARS-CoV-2 isolated from Pakistan and connect them to the phenotypic attributes of spike protein; we used stability-function correlation methods, protein-protein docking, and molecular dynamics simulation. Results: Using the Global initiative on sharing all influenza data (GISAID) a total of 21 unique mutations were identified, among which five were reported as stabilizing while 16 were destabilizing revealed through mCSM, DynaMut 2.0, and I-Mutant servers. Protein-protein docking with Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and monoclonal antibody (4A8) revealed that mutation G446V in the receptor-binding domain; R102S and G181V in the N-terminal domain (NTD) significantly affected the binding and thus increased the infectivity. The interaction pattern also revealed significant variations in the hydrogen bonding, salt bridges and non-bonded contact networks. The structural-dynamic features of these mutations revealed the global dynamic trend and the finding energy calculation further established that the G446V mutation increases the binding affinity towards ACE2 while R102S and G181V help in evading the host immune response. The other mutations reported supplement these processes indirectly. The binding free energy results revealed that wild type-RBD has a TBE of -60.55 kcal/mol while G446V-RBD reported a TBE of -73.49 kcal/mol. On the other hand, wild type-NTD reported -67.77 kcal/mol of TBE, R102S-NTD reported -51.25 kcal/mol of TBE while G181V-NTD reported a TBE of -63.68 kcal/mol. Conclusions: In conclusion, the current findings revealed basis for higher infectivity and immune evasion associated with the aforementioned mutations and structure-based drug discovery against such variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Hanifa
- Centre for Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Swat, Charbagh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | | | | | - Naila Mukhtar
- Department of Botany, University of Okara, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Fahad N. Almajhdi
- COVID-19 Virus Research Chair, Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nasib Zaman
- Centre for Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Swat, Charbagh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Suleman
- Centre for Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Swat, Charbagh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Syed Shujait Ali
- Centre for Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Swat, Charbagh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Yasir Waheed
- Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), Islamabad, Pakistan,Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon,*Correspondence: Yasir Waheed, ; Abbas Khan,
| | - Abbas Khan
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biological Statistics, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China,*Correspondence: Yasir Waheed, ; Abbas Khan,
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30
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Community Mitigation Strategies, Mobility, and COVID-19 Incidence Across Three Waves in the United States in 2020. Epidemiology 2023; 34:131-139. [PMID: 36137192 PMCID: PMC9811991 DOI: 10.1097/ede.0000000000001553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Summarizing the impact of community-based mitigation strategies and mobility on COVID-19 infections throughout the pandemic is critical for informing responses and future infectious disease outbreaks. Here, we employed time-series analyses to empirically investigate the relationships between mitigation strategies and mobility on COVID-19 incident cases across US states during the first three waves of infections. METHODS We linked data on daily COVID-19 incidence by US state from March to December 2020 with the stringency index, a well-known index capturing the strictness of mitigation strategies, and the trip ratio, which measures the ratio of the number of trips taken per day compared with the same day in 2019. We utilized multilevel models to determine the relative impacts of policy stringency and the trip ratio on COVID-19 cumulative incidence and the effective reproduction number. We stratified analyses by three waves of infections. RESULTS Every five-point increase in the stringency index was associated with 2.89% (95% confidence interval = 1.52, 4.26%) and 5.01% (3.02, 6.95%) reductions in COVID-19 incidence for the first and third waves, respectively. Reducing the number of trips taken by 50% compared with the same time in 2019 was associated with a 16.2% (-0.07, 35.2%) decline in COVID-19 incidence at the state level during the second wave and 19.3% (2.30, 39.0%) during the third wave. CONCLUSIONS Mitigation strategies and reductions in mobility are associated with marked health gains through the reduction of COVID-19 infections, but we estimate variable impacts depending on policy stringency and levels of adherence.
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31
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Pagani I, Ghezzi S, Alberti S, Poli G, Vicenzi E. Origin and evolution of SARS-CoV-2. EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL PLUS 2023; 138:157. [PMID: 36811098 PMCID: PMC9933829 DOI: 10.1140/epjp/s13360-023-03719-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus that emerged in China at the end of 2019 causing the severe disease known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2, as to the previously highly pathogenic human coronaviruses named SARS-CoV, the etiological agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), has a zoonotic origin, although SARS-CoV-2 precise chain of animal-to-human transmission remains undefined. Unlike the 2002-2003 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV whose extinction from the human population was achieved in eight months, SARS-CoV-2 has been spreading globally in an immunologically naïve population in an unprecedented manner. The efficient infection and replication of SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in the emergence of viral variants that have become predominant posing concerns about their containment as they are more infectious with variable pathogenicity in respect to the original virus. Although vaccine availability is limiting severe disease and death caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, its extinction is far to be close and predictable. In this regard, the emersion of the Omicron viral variant in November 2021 was characterized by humoral immune escape and it has reinforced the importance of the global monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 evolution. Given the importance of the SARS-CoV-2 zoonotic origin, it will also be crucial to monitor the animal-human interface to be better prepared to cope with future infections of pandemic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Pagani
- Viral Pathogenesis and Biosafety Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 58, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Ghezzi
- Viral Pathogenesis and Biosafety Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 58, Milan, Italy
| | - Simone Alberti
- Viral Pathogenesis and Biosafety Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 58, Milan, Italy
| | - Guido Poli
- Human Immuno-Virology (H.I.V.) Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 58, Milan, Italy
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University School of Medicine, Via Olgettina, 58, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Vicenzi
- Viral Pathogenesis and Biosafety Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 58, Milan, Italy
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López-Farfán D, Yerbanga RS, Parres-Mercader M, Torres-Puente M, Gómez-Navarro I, Sanou DMS, Yao AF, Bosco Ouédraogo J, Comas I, Irigoyen N, Gómez-Díaz E. Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and co-infection with malaria during the first wave of the pandemic (the Burkina Faso case). Front Public Health 2022; 10:1048404. [PMID: 36579069 PMCID: PMC9791192 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1048404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Africa accounts for 1.5% of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and 2.7% of deaths, but this low incidence has been partly attributed to the limited testing capacity in most countries. In addition, the population in many African countries is at high risk of infection with endemic infectious diseases such as malaria. Our aim is to determine the prevalence and circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants, and the frequency of co-infection with the malaria parasite. We conducted serological tests and microscopy examinations on 998 volunteers of different ages and sexes in a random and stratified population sample in Burkina-Faso. In addition, nasopharyngeal samples were taken for RT-qPCR of SARS-CoV-2 and for whole viral genome sequencing. Our results show a 3.2 and a 2.5% of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and PCR positivity; and 22% of malaria incidence, over the sampling period, with marked differences linked to age. Importantly, we found 8 cases of confirmed co-infection and 11 cases of suspected co-infection mostly in children and teenagers. Finally, we report the genome sequences of 13 SARS-CoV-2 isolates circulating in Burkina Faso at the time of analysis, assigned to lineages A.19, A.21, B.1.1.404, B.1.1.118, B.1 and grouped into clades; 19B, 20A, and 20B. This is the first population-based study about SARS-CoV-2 and malaria in Burkina Faso during the first wave of the pandemic, providing a relevant estimation of the real prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and variants circulating in this Western African country. Besides, it highlights the non-negligible frequency of co-infection with malaria in African communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana López-Farfán
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN, CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - R Serge Yerbanga
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.,Institut des Sciences et Techniques (INSTech), Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Marina Parres-Mercader
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN, CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Manuela Torres-Puente
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IBV, CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Gómez-Navarro
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IBV, CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Adama Franck Yao
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | | | - Iñaki Comas
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IBV, CSIC), Valencia, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Nerea Irigoyen
- Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Gómez-Díaz
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN, CSIC), Granada, Spain
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Periwal N, Bhardwaj U, Sarma S, Arora P, Sood V. In silico analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomes: Insights from SARS encoded non-coding RNAs. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:966870. [PMID: 36519126 PMCID: PMC9742375 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.966870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 has resulted in enormous deaths around the world. Clues from genomic sequences of parent and their mutants can be obtained to understand the evolving pathogenesis of this virus. Apart from the viral proteins, virus-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play a vital role in regulating viral pathogenesis. Thus we sought to investigate the miRNAs encoded by SARS-CoV-2, its mutants, and the host. Here, we present the results obtained using a dual approach i.e (i) identifying host-encoded miRNAs that might regulate viral pathogenesis and (ii) identifying viral-encoded miRNAs that might regulate host cell signaling pathways and aid in viral pathogenesis. Analysis utilizing the first approach resulted in the identification of ten host-encoded miRNAs that could target the SARS, SARS-CoV-2, and its mutants. Interestingly our analysis revealed that there is a significantly higher number of host miRNAs that could target the SARS-CoV-2 genome as compared to the SARS reference genome. Results from the second approach resulted in the identification of a set of virus-encoded miRNAs which might regulate host signaling pathways. Our analysis further identified a similar "GA" rich motif in the SARS-CoV-2 and its mutant genomes that was shown to play a vital role in lung pathogenesis during severe SARS infections. In summary, we have identified human and virus-encoded miRNAs that might regulate the pathogenesis of SARS coronaviruses and describe similar non-coding RNA sequences in SARS-CoV-2 that were shown to regulate SARS-induced lung pathology in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Periwal
- Department of Biochemistry, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Sankritya Sarma
- Department of Zoology, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Pooja Arora
- Department of Zoology, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Vikas Sood
- Department of Biochemistry, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India,*Correspondence: Vikas Sood,
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Govender K, Chuturgoon A. An Overview of Repurposed Drugs for Potential COVID-19 Treatment. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:1678. [PMID: 36551336 PMCID: PMC9774286 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11121678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has placed severe constraints on healthcare systems around the globe. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused upheaval in the healthcare and economic sectors worldwide. On the 20th of May 2020, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a global pandemic due to the unprecedented number of cases reported around the globe. As of the 4th of November 2022, there were 637,117,429 coronavirus cases reported globally by Worldometer stats, with 6,602,572 related deaths. In South Africa, there were approximately 4,029,496 coronavirus cases and 102,311 associated deaths. As such, there is a need for efficacious therapeutic regimes. There has been a paucity of knowledge encompassing the use of effective and specific antiviral drug therapies for treating COVID-19 since the outbreak. In this review, we provide valuable insights into the repurposing of current drugs for COVID-19. Drug repurposing provides a suitable option for the discovery of efficacious drugs for COVID-19, thereby decreasing the costs and turnaround times of drug development strategies. This review provides an overview of ten drugs, including antimalarial, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, nucleoside analogue, monoclonal-antibody drugs, that were repurposed for the potential treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamini Govender
- Discipline of Medical Biochemistry, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4013, South Africa
| | - Anil Chuturgoon
- Discipline of Medical Biochemistry, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4013, South Africa
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Deng T, Li T, Chen G, Zhu Y, Xu L, Lin Y, Sun H, Zhang H, Fang Q, Hong J, Wu D, Gao S, Li S, Wang Y, Zhang T, Chen Y, Yuan Q, Zheng Q, Yu H, Zhao Q, Zhang J, Li S, Xia N, Gu Y. Characterization and immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins with varied glycosylation. Vaccine 2022; 40:6839-6848. [PMID: 36253220 PMCID: PMC9510068 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.09.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has drastically changed our way of life and continues to have an unmitigated socioeconomic impact across the globe. Research into potential vaccine design and production is focused on the spike (S) protein of the virus, which is critical for virus entry into host cells. Yet, whether the degree of glycosylation in the S protein is associated with vaccine efficacy remains unclear. Here, we first optimized the expression of the S protein in mammalian cells. While we found no significant discrepancy in purity, homogeneity, or receptor binding ability among S proteins derived from 293F cells (referred to as 293F S-2P), 293S GnTI- cells (defective in N-acetylglucosaminyl transferase I enzyme; 293S S-2P), or TN-5B1-4 insect cells (Bac S-2P), there was significant variation in the glycosylation patterns and thermal stability of the proteins. Compared with the partially glycosylated 293S S-2P or Bac S-2P, the fully glycosylated 293F S-2P exhibited higher binding reactivity to convalescent sera. In addition, 293F S-2P induced higher IgG and neutralizing antibody titres than 293S or Bac S-2P in mice. Furthermore, a prime-boost-boost regimen, using a combined immunization of S-2P proteins with various degrees of glycosylation, elicited a more robust neutralizing antibody response than a single S-2P alone. Collectively, this study provides insight into ways to design a more effective SARS-CoV-2 immunogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Tingting Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Gege Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Yuhe Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Lang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Yanlin Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Hui Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Qianjiao Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Junping Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Dinghui Wu
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, China
| | - Shuangquan Gao
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Shaoyong Li
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Yingbin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Tianying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Yixin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Quan Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Qingbing Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Hai Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Qinjian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Shaowei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Ningshao Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,The Research Unit of Frontier Technology of Structural Vaccinology of ChineseAcademy of Medical Sciences, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Ying Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China,Corresponding author at: National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiang An South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, China
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36
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Mu S, Song S, Hao Y, Luo F, Wu R, Wang Y, Han X, Li T, Hu C, Li S, Shen M, Huang J, Wang W, Wang Y, Jin A. Neutralizing antibodies from the rare convalescent donors elicited antibody-dependent enhancement of SARS-CoV-2 variants infection. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:952697. [PMID: 36341247 PMCID: PMC9627283 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.952697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, neutralizing antibody and vaccine strategies have been developed by targeting the SARS-CoV-2 strain identified during the early phase of the pandemic. Early studies showed that the ability of SARS-CoV-2 RBD or NTD antibodies to elicit infection enhancement in vivo is still controversial. There are growing concerns that the plasma and neutralizing antibodies from convalescent patients or people receiving vaccines mediate ADE of SARS-CoV-2 variants infections in immune cells. Here, we constructed engineered double-mutant variants containing an RBD mutation and D614G in the spike (S) protein and natural epidemic variants to gain insights into the correlation between the mutations in S proteins and the ADE activities and tested whether convalescent plasma and TOP10 neutralizing antibodies in our laboratory mediated the ADE effects of these SARS-CoV-2 variants. We found that one out of 29 convalescent plasma samples caused the ADE effect of pandemic variant B.1.1.7 and that the ADE effect of wild-type SARS-CoV-2 was not detected for any of these plasma samples. Only one antibody, 55A8, from the same batch of convalescent patients mediated the ADE effects of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants in vitro, including six double-mutant variants and four epidemic variants, suggesting that ADE activities may be closely related to the antibody itself and the SARS-CoV-2 variants' S proteins. Moreover, the ADE activity of 55A8 depended on FcγRII on immune cells, and the introduction of LALA mutations at the Fc end of 55A8 eliminated the ADE effects in vitro, indicating that 55A8LALA may be a clinical drug used to prevent SARS-CoV-2 variants. Altogether, ADE may occur in rare convalescent patients or vaccinees with ADE-active antibodies who are then exposed to a SARS-CoV-2 variant. These data suggested that potential neutralizing antibodies may need to undergo ADE screening tests for SARS-CoV-2 variants, which should aid in the future design of effective antibody-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Mu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shuyi Song
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yanan Hao
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Feiyang Luo
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ruixin Wu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaojian Han
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Tingting Li
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chao Hu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shenglong Li
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Meiying Shen
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jingjing Huang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wang Wang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yingming Wang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Aishun Jin
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Özbay Kurt FG, Lepper A, Gerhards C, Roemer M, Lasser S, Arkhypov I, Bitsch R, Bugert P, Altevogt P, Gouttefangeas C, Neumaier M, Utikal J, Umansky V. Booster dose of mRNA vaccine augments waning T cell and antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1012526. [PMID: 36311732 PMCID: PMC9597683 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1012526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A gradual decay in humoral and cellular immune responses over time upon SAR1S-CoV-2 vaccination may cause a lack of protective immunity. We conducted a longitudinal analysis of antibodies, T cells, and monocytes in 25 participants vaccinated with mRNA or ChAdOx1-S up to 12 weeks after the 3rd (booster) dose with mRNA vaccine. We observed a substantial increase in antibodies and CD8 T cells specific for the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 after vaccination. Moreover, vaccination induced activated T cells expressing CD69, CD137 and producing IFN-γ and TNF-α. Virus-specific CD8 T cells showed predominantly memory phenotype. Although the level of antibodies and frequency of virus-specific T cells reduced 4-6 months after the 2nd dose, they were augmented after the 3rd dose followed by a decrease later. Importantly, T cells generated after the 3rd vaccination were also reactive against Omicron variant, indicated by a similar level of IFN-γ production after stimulation with Omicron peptides. Breakthrough infection in participants vaccinated with two doses induced more SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells than the booster vaccination. We found an upregulation of PD-L1 expression on monocytes but no accumulation of myeloid cells with MDSC-like immunosuppressive phenotype after the vaccination. Our results indicate that the 3rd vaccination fosters antibody and T cell immune response independently from vaccine type used for the first two injections. However, such immune response is attenuated over time, suggesting thereby the need for further vaccinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feyza Gül Özbay Kurt
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
- Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Alisa Lepper
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
- Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Catharina Gerhards
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Mathis Roemer
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Samantha Lasser
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
- Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ihor Arkhypov
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
- Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rebekka Bitsch
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
- Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Peter Bugert
- German Red Cross Blood Service Baden-Württemberg – Hessen, Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Immunology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Peter Altevogt
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
- Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Cécile Gouttefangeas
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michael Neumaier
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jochen Utikal
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
- Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Viktor Umansky
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
- Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- *Correspondence: Viktor Umansky,
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Tegally H, San JE, Cotten M, Moir M, Tegomoh B, Mboowa G, Martin DP, Baxter C, Lambisia AW, Diallo A, Amoako DG, Diagne MM, Sisay A, Zekri ARN, Gueye AS, Sangare AK, Ouedraogo AS, Sow A, Musa AO, Sesay AK, Abias AG, Elzagheid AI, Lagare A, Kemi AS, Abar AE, Johnson AA, Fowotade A, Oluwapelumi AO, Amuri AA, Juru A, Kandeil A, Mostafa A, Rebai A, Sayed A, Kazeem A, Balde A, Christoffels A, Trotter AJ, Campbell A, Keita AK, Kone A, Bouzid A, Souissi A, Agweyu A, Naguib A, Gutierrez AV, Nkeshimana A, Page AJ, Yadouleton A, Vinze A, Happi AN, Chouikha A, Iranzadeh A, Maharaj A, Batchi-Bouyou AL, Ismail A, Sylverken AA, Goba A, Femi A, Sijuwola AE, Marycelin B, Salako BL, Oderinde BS, Bolajoko B, Diarra B, Herring BL, Tsofa B, Lekana-Douki B, Mvula B, Njanpop-Lafourcade BM, Marondera BT, Khaireh BA, Kouriba B, Adu B, Pool B, McInnis B, Brook C, Williamson C, Nduwimana C, Anscombe C, Pratt CB, Scheepers C, Akoua-Koffi CG, Agoti CN, Mapanguy CM, Loucoubar C, Onwuamah CK, Ihekweazu C, Malaka CN, Peyrefitte C, Grace C, Omoruyi CE, Rafaï CD, Morang’a CM, Erameh C, Lule DB, Bridges DJ, Mukadi-Bamuleka D, Park D, Rasmussen DA, Baker D, Nokes DJ, Ssemwanga D, Tshiabuila D, Amuzu DSY, Goedhals D, Grant DS, Omuoyo DO, Maruapula D, Wanjohi DW, Foster-Nyarko E, Lusamaki EK, Simulundu E, Ong’era EM, Ngabana EN, Abworo EO, Otieno E, Shumba E, Barasa E, Ahmed EB, Ahmed EA, Lokilo E, Mukantwari E, Philomena E, Belarbi E, Simon-Loriere E, Anoh EA, Manuel E, Leendertz F, Taweh FM, Wasfi F, Abdelmoula F, Takawira FT, Derrar F, Ajogbasile FV, Treurnicht F, Onikepe F, Ntoumi F, Muyembe FM, Ragomzingba FEZ, Dratibi FA, Iyanu FA, Mbunsu GK, Thilliez G, Kay GL, Akpede GO, van Zyl GU, Awandare GA, Kpeli GS, Schubert G, Maphalala GP, Ranaivoson HC, Omunakwe HE, Onywera H, Abe H, Karray H, Nansumba H, Triki H, Kadjo HAA, Elgahzaly H, Gumbo H, Mathieu H, Kavunga-Membo H, Smeti I, Olawoye IB, Adetifa IMO, Odia I, Ben Boubaker IB, Mohammad IA, Ssewanyana I, Wurie I, Konstantinus IS, Halatoko JWA, Ayei J, Sonoo J, Makangara JCC, Tamfum JJM, Heraud JM, Shaffer JG, Giandhari J, Musyoki J, Nkurunziza J, Uwanibe JN, Bhiman JN, Yasuda J, Morais J, Kiconco J, Sandi JD, Huddleston J, Odoom JK, Morobe JM, Gyapong JO, Kayiwa JT, Okolie JC, Xavier JS, Gyamfi J, Wamala JF, Bonney JHK, Nyandwi J, Everatt J, Nakaseegu J, Ngoi JM, Namulondo J, Oguzie JU, Andeko JC, Lutwama JJ, Mogga JJH, O’Grady J, Siddle KJ, Victoir K, Adeyemi KT, Tumedi KA, Carvalho KS, Mohammed KS, Dellagi K, Musonda KG, Duedu KO, Fki-Berrajah L, Singh L, Kepler LM, Biscornet L, de Oliveira Martins L, Chabuka L, Olubayo L, Ojok LD, Deng LL, Ochola-Oyier LI, Tyers L, Mine M, Ramuth M, Mastouri M, ElHefnawi M, Mbanne M, Matsheka MI, Kebabonye M, Diop M, Momoh M, Lima Mendonça MDL, Venter M, Paye MF, Faye M, Nyaga MM, Mareka M, Damaris MM, Mburu MW, Mpina MG, Owusu M, Wiley MR, Tatfeng MY, Ayekaba MO, Abouelhoda M, Beloufa MA, Seadawy MG, Khalifa MK, Matobo MM, Kane M, Salou M, Mbulawa MB, Mwenda M, Allam M, Phan MVT, Abid N, Rujeni N, Abuzaid N, Ismael N, Elguindy N, Top NM, Dia N, Mabunda N, Hsiao NY, Silochi NB, Francisco NM, Saasa N, Bbosa N, Murunga N, Gumede N, Wolter N, Sitharam N, Ndodo N, Ajayi NA, Tordo N, Mbhele N, Razanajatovo NH, Iguosadolo N, Mba N, Kingsley OC, Sylvanus O, Femi O, Adewumi OM, Testimony O, Ogunsanya OA, Fakayode O, Ogah OE, Oludayo OE, Faye O, Smith-Lawrence P, Ondoa P, Combe P, Nabisubi P, Semanda P, Oluniyi PE, Arnaldo P, Quashie PK, Okokhere PO, Bejon P, Dussart P, Bester PA, Mbala PK, Kaleebu P, Abechi P, El-Shesheny R, Joseph R, Aziz RK, Essomba RG, Ayivor-Djanie R, Njouom R, Phillips RO, Gorman R, Kingsley RA, Neto Rodrigues RMDESA, Audu RA, Carr RAA, Gargouri S, Masmoudi S, Bootsma S, Sankhe S, Mohamed SI, Femi S, Mhalla S, Hosch S, Kassim SK, Metha S, Trabelsi S, Agwa SH, Mwangi SW, Doumbia S, Makiala-Mandanda S, Aryeetey S, Ahmed SS, Ahmed SM, Elhamoumi S, Moyo S, Lutucuta S, Gaseitsiwe S, Jalloh S, Andriamandimby SF, Oguntope S, Grayo S, Lekana-Douki S, Prosolek S, Ouangraoua S, van Wyk S, Schaffner SF, Kanyerezi S, Ahuka-Mundeke S, Rudder S, Pillay S, Nabadda S, Behillil S, Budiaki SL, van der Werf S, Mashe T, Mohale T, Le-Viet T, Velavan TP, Schindler T, Maponga TG, Bedford T, Anyaneji UJ, Chinedu U, Ramphal U, George UE, Enouf V, Nene V, Gorova V, Roshdy WH, Karim WA, Ampofo WK, Preiser W, Choga WT, Ahmed YA, Ramphal Y, Bediako Y, Naidoo Y, Butera Y, de Laurent ZR, Ouma AEO, von Gottberg A, Githinji G, Moeti M, Tomori O, Sabeti PC, Sall AA, Oyola SO, Tebeje YK, Tessema SK, de Oliveira T, Happi C, Lessells R, Nkengasong J, Wilkinson E. The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance. Science 2022; 378:eabq5358. [PMID: 36108049 PMCID: PMC9529057 DOI: 10.1126/science.abq5358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Investment in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing in Africa over the past year has led to a major increase in the number of sequences that have been generated and used to track the pandemic on the continent, a number that now exceeds 100,000 genomes. Our results show an increase in the number of African countries that are able to sequence domestically and highlight that local sequencing enables faster turnaround times and more-regular routine surveillance. Despite limitations of low testing proportions, findings from this genomic surveillance study underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic and illuminate the distinct dispersal dynamics of variants of concern-particularly Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron-on the continent. Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve while the continent faces many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houriiyah Tegally
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - James E. San
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Matthew Cotten
- MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK
| | - Monika Moir
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Bryan Tegomoh
- The Biotechnology Centre of the University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- CDC Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Gerald Mboowa
- Institute of Pathogen Genomics, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Darren P. Martin
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Computational Biology Division, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Medical Virology, Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases in Africa, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Cheryl Baxter
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Durban, South Africa
| | | | - Amadou Diallo
- Virology Department, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Daniel G. Amoako
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | | | - Abay Sisay
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abdel-Rahman N. Zekri
- Cancer Biology Department, Virology and Immunology Unit, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Abdou Salam Gueye
- World Health Organization, Africa Region, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Abdoul K. Sangare
- Centre d’Infectiologie Charles Mérieux-Mali (CICM-Mali), Bamako, Mali
| | - Abdoul-Salam Ouedraogo
- Bacteriology and Virology Department Souro Sanou University Hospital, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | | | - Abdualmoniem O. Musa
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Kassala University, Kassala City, Sudan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Gezira, Gezira, Sudan
- General Administration of Laboratories and Blood Banks, Ministry of Health, Kassala State, Sudan
| | | | - Abe G. Abias
- National Public Health Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Juba, Republic of South Sudan
| | | | - Adamou Lagare
- Center for Medical and Sanitary Research (CERMES), Niamey, Niger
| | | | - Aden Elmi Abar
- Laboratoire de la Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale, Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti
| | - Adeniji A. Johnson
- Department of Virology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Infectious Disease Institute, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Adeola Fowotade
- Medical Microbiology and Parasitology Department, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Biorepository Clinical Virology Laboratory, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Adeyemi O. Oluwapelumi
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
- The Pirbright Institute, Woking, UK
| | - Adrienne A. Amuri
- Pathogen Sequencing Lab, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Agnes Juru
- National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Ahmed Kandeil
- Center of Scientific Excellence for Influenza Viruses, National Research Centre (NRC), Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Mostafa
- Center of Scientific Excellence for Influenza Viruses, National Research Centre (NRC), Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Rebai
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Screening Processes, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Ahmed Sayed
- Genomics and Epigenomics Program, Research Department CCHE57357, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Akano Kazeem
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Aladje Balde
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular Jean Piaget, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- University Jean Piaget in Guinea-Bissau, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Alan Christoffels
- Institute of Pathogen Genomics, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- SAMRC Bioinformatics Unit, SA Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Allan Campbell
- Central Public Health Reference Laboratories, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Alpha K. Keita
- Centre de Recherche et de Formation en Infectiologie de Guinée (CERFIG), Université de Conakry, Conakry, Guinea
- TransVIHMI, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Montpellier University, 34090, Montpellier, France
| | - Amadou Kone
- University Clinical Research Center (UCRC), University of Sciences, Techniques and Technology of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Amal Bouzid
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Screening Processes, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Amal Souissi
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Screening Processes, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
| | | | - Amel Naguib
- Central Public Health Laboratories (CPHL), Cairo, Egypt
| | | | | | | | - Anges Yadouleton
- Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques Virales du Benin, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Anika Vinze
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anise N. Happi
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Anissa Chouikha
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, WHO Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Measles in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, University Tunis El Manar (UTM), Tunis 1002, Tunisia
- Research Laboratory “Virus, Vectors and Hosts: One Health Apporach and Technological Innovation for a Better Health”, LR20IPT02, Pasteur Institute, Tunis 1002, Tunisia
| | - Arash Iranzadeh
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Computational Biology Division, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Medical Virology, Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases in Africa, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Arisha Maharaj
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Armel L. Batchi-Bouyou
- Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Arshad Ismail
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Augustina A. Sylverken
- Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Augustine Goba
- Viral Haemorrhagic Fever Laboratory, Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema, Sierra Leone
- Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Ayoade Femi
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Ayotunde E. Sijuwola
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Baba Marycelin
- Department of Immunology, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, P.M.B. 1414, Maiduguri, Nigeria
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria
| | - Babatunde L. Salako
- The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
- Infectious Disease Institute, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Bamidele S. Oderinde
- Department of Immunology, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, P.M.B. 1414, Maiduguri, Nigeria
| | - Bankole Bolajoko
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Bassirou Diarra
- University Clinical Research Center (UCRC), University of Sciences, Techniques and Technology of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Belinda L. Herring
- World Health Organization, Africa Region, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Bernard Lekana-Douki
- Centre Interdisciplinaires de Recherches Medicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
- Département de Parasitologie-Mycologie Université des Sciences de la Santé (USS), Libreville, Gabon
| | - Bernard Mvula
- National HIV Reference Laboratory, Community Health Sciences Unit, Ministry of Health, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | | | | | - Bouh Abdi Khaireh
- National Medical and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti
- Africa CDC, Rapid Responder, Team Djibouti, Djibouti, Djibouti
| | - Bourema Kouriba
- Centre d’Infectiologie Charles Mérieux-Mali (CICM-Mali), Bamako, Mali
| | - Bright Adu
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Brigitte Pool
- Seychelles Public Health Laboratory, Public Health Authority, Ministry of Health Seychelles, Victoria, Seychelles
| | - Bronwyn McInnis
- Cancer Biology Department, Virology and Immunology Unit, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Cara Brook
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Virology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Carolyn Williamson
- Division of Medical Virology, Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases in Africa, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Durban, South Africa
- National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Catherine Anscombe
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Cathrine Scheepers
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
- SAMRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Chantal G. Akoua-Koffi
- CHU de Bouaké, Laboratoire/Unité de Diagnostic des Virus des Fièvres Hémorragiques et Virus Émergents, Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire
- UFR Sciences Médicales, Universite Alassane Ouattara, Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire
| | - Charles N. Agoti
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- School of Public Health, Pwani University, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Chastel M. Mapanguy
- Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- Faculty of Science and Techniques, University Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Chika K. Onwuamah
- Centre for Human Virology and Genomics, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Chikwe Ihekweazu
- Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Christian N. Malaka
- Laboratoire des Arbovirus, Fièvres Hémorragiques virales, Virus Emergents et Zoonoses, Institut Pasteur de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic
| | | | - Chukwa Grace
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Chukwuma E. Omoruyi
- Medical Microbiology and Parasitology Department, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Biorepository Clinical Virology Laboratory, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Clotaire D. Rafaï
- Le Laboratoire National de Biologie Clinique et de Santé Publique (LNBCSP), Bangui, Central African Republic
| | - Collins M. Morang’a
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Cyril Erameh
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria
| | - Daniel B. Lule
- MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | | | - Daniel Mukadi-Bamuleka
- Pathogen Sequencing Lab, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Danny Park
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David A. Rasmussen
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | - David J. Nokes
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- School of Life Sciences and Zeeman Institute for Systems Biology and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Research (SBIDER), University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Deogratius Ssemwanga
- MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
- Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Derek Tshiabuila
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Dominic S. Y. Amuzu
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Dominique Goedhals
- PathCare Vermaak, Pretoria, South Africa and Division of Virology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Donald S. Grant
- Viral Haemorrhagic Fever Laboratory, Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema, Sierra Leone
- Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone
- College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | | | - Dorcas Maruapula
- Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership and Botswana Harvard HIV Reference Laboratory, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Dorcas W. Wanjohi
- Institute of Pathogen Genomics, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Eddy K. Lusamaki
- Pathogen Sequencing Lab, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- TransVIHMI, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Montpellier University, 34090, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | - Edith N. Ngabana
- Pathogen Sequencing Lab, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Edward O. Abworo
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Edward Otieno
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Edwin Shumba
- African Society for Laboratory Medicine, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Edwine Barasa
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - El Bara Ahmed
- INRSP, Nouakchott, Mauritania
- Faculté de Médecine de Nouakchott, Nouakchott, Mauritani
| | - Elhadi A. Ahmed
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Gezira, Gezira, Sudan
| | - Emmanuel Lokilo
- Pathogen Sequencing Lab, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Eromon Philomena
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | | | | | - Etilé A. Anoh
- CHU de Bouaké, Laboratoire/Unité de Diagnostic des Virus des Fièvres Hémorragiques et Virus Émergents, Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire
| | - Eusebio Manuel
- Direcção Nacional da Saúde Pública, Ministério da Saúde, Luanda, Angola
| | | | - Fahn M. Taweh
- National Public Health Reference Laboratory–National Public Health Institute of Liberia, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Fares Wasfi
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, WHO Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Measles in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, University Tunis El Manar (UTM), Tunis 1002, Tunisia
| | - Fatma Abdelmoula
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Screening Processes, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Faculty of Pharmacy of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | | | - Fawzi Derrar
- National Influenza Centre, Institut Pasteur d’Algérie, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Fehintola V. Ajogbasile
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Florette Treurnicht
- Department of Virology, National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Folarin Onikepe
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Francine Ntoumi
- Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Francisca M. Muyembe
- Pathogen Sequencing Lab, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Fred A. Dratibi
- WHO Int Comoros, Moroni, Union of Comoros
- World Health Organization, Africa Region, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Fred-Akintunwa Iyanu
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Gabriel K. Mbunsu
- Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | | | - George O. Akpede
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria
| | - Gert U. van Zyl
- Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
- National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Gordon A. Awandare
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Grace S. Kpeli
- UHAS COVID-19 Testing and Research Centre, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31, Ho, Ghana
| | | | - Gugu P. Maphalala
- Ministry of Health, COVID-19 Testing Laboratory, Mbabane, Kingdom of Eswatini
| | | | - Hannah E. Omunakwe
- Satellite Molecular Laboratory, Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
| | - Harris Onywera
- Institute of Pathogen Genomics, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Haruka Abe
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hela Karray
- CHU Habib Bourguiba, Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
| | | | - Henda Triki
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, WHO Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Measles in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, University Tunis El Manar (UTM), Tunis 1002, Tunisia
| | | | - Hesham Elgahzaly
- Faculty of Medicine Ain Shams Research Institute (MASRI), Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hlanai Gumbo
- National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Hota Mathieu
- Doctoral School of Technical and Environmental Sciences, Department of Biology and Human Health, N’Djamena, Chad
| | - Hugo Kavunga-Membo
- Pathogen Sequencing Lab, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Ibtihel Smeti
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Screening Processes, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Idowu B. Olawoye
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Ifedayo M. O. Adetifa
- Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Abuja, Nigeria
- Department of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Ikponmwosa Odia
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria
| | - Ilhem Boutiba Ben Boubaker
- Charles Nicolle Hospital, Laboratory of Microbiology, National Influenza Center, Tunis, Tunisia
- University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Research Laboratory LR99ES09, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Iluoreh Ahmed Mohammad
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | | | - Isatta Wurie
- College of Medicine and Allied Health Science, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | | | | | - James Ayei
- National Public Health Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Juba, Republic of South Sudan
| | - Janaki Sonoo
- Virology/Molecular Biology Department, Central Health Laboratory, Victoria Hospital, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Port Louis, Mauritius
| | - Jean-Claude C. Makangara
- Pathogen Sequencing Lab, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Jean-Jacques M. Tamfum
- Pathogen Sequencing Lab, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Jean-Michel Heraud
- Virology Department, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
- Virology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Jeffrey G. Shaffer
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Jennifer Giandhari
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | | | | | - Jessica N. Uwanibe
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Jinal N. Bhiman
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jiro Yasuda
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Joana Morais
- Grupo de Investigação Microbiana e Imunológica, Instituto Nacional de Investigação em Saúde (National Institute for Health Research), Luanda, Angola
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Agostinho Neto, Luanda, Angola
| | | | - John D. Sandi
- Viral Haemorrhagic Fever Laboratory, Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema, Sierra Leone
- Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - John Huddleston
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - John K. Odoom
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | | | - John O. Gyapong
- UHAS COVID-19 Testing and Research Centre, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - John T. Kayiwa
- MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Johnson C. Okolie
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Joicymara S. Xavier
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Unaí, Brazil
| | - Jones Gyamfi
- UHAS COVID-19 Testing and Research Centre, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | | | - Joseph H. K. Bonney
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Joseph Nyandwi
- National Institute of Public Health, Bujumbura, Burundi
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Burundi, Bujumbura, Burundi
| | - Josie Everatt
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Joyce M. Ngoi
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Judith U. Oguzie
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Julia C. Andeko
- Centre Interdisciplinaires de Recherches Medicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
| | | | | | | | - Katherine J. Siddle
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Kayode T. Adeyemi
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Kefentse A. Tumedi
- Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation, Gaborone, Botswana
| | | | | | | | | | - Kwabena O. Duedu
- UHAS COVID-19 Testing and Research Centre, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31, Ho, Ghana
| | - Lamia Fki-Berrajah
- CHU Habib Bourguiba, Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Lavanya Singh
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Lenora M. Kepler
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Leon Biscornet
- Seychelles Public Health Laboratory, Public Health Authority, Ministry of Health Seychelles, Victoria, Seychelles
| | | | | | - Luicer Olubayo
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Computational Biology Division, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lul Deng Ojok
- National Public Health Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Juba, Republic of South Sudan
| | - Lul Lojok Deng
- National Public Health Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Juba, Republic of South Sudan
| | | | - Lynn Tyers
- Division of Medical Virology, Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases in Africa, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Madisa Mine
- National Health Laboratory, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Magalutcheemee Ramuth
- Virology/Molecular Biology Department, Central Health Laboratory, Victoria Hospital, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Port Louis, Mauritius
| | - Maha Mastouri
- Laboratory of Transmissible Diseases and Biologically Active Substances (LR99ES27), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University Hospital of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Mahmoud ElHefnawi
- Biomedical Informatics and Chemoinformatics Group, Informatics and Systems Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Maimouna Mbanne
- Virology Department, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | | | | | - Mamadou Diop
- Virology Department, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Mambu Momoh
- Viral Haemorrhagic Fever Laboratory, Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema, Sierra Leone
- Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone, Kenema, Sierra Leone
| | | | - Marietjie Venter
- Zoonotic Arbo and Respiratory Virus Program, Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Marietou F. Paye
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Martin Faye
- Virology Department, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Martin M. Nyaga
- Next Generation Sequencing Unit and Division of Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | | | - Matoke-Muhia Damaris
- Centre for Biotechnology Research and Development, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Maximillian G. Mpina
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones de Baney, Baney, Equatorial Guinea
- Ifakara Health Insitute, Ifakara, Tanzania
| | - Michael Owusu
- Department of Medical Diagnostics, Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Michael R. Wiley
- University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA
- PraesensBio, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Mirabeau Y. Tatfeng
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
| | | | - Mohamed Abouelhoda
- Systems and Biomedical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Mohamed G. Seadawy
- Biological Prevention Department, Ministry of Defence, Cairo, Egypt
- Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
| | | | | | - Mouhamed Kane
- Virology Department, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | | | | | | | - Mushal Allam
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - My V. T. Phan
- MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Nabil Abid
- Laboratory of Transmissible Diseases and Biologically Active Substances (LR99ES27), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- High Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, University of Monastir, Rue Taher Haddad 5000, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Nadine Rujeni
- Rwanda National Joint Task Force COVID-19, Rwanda Biomedical Centre, Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda
- School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Nadir Abuzaid
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Omdurman Islamic University, Sudan
| | - Nalia Ismael
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Marracuene, Mozambique
| | | | | | - Ndongo Dia
- Virology Department, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Nédio Mabunda
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Marracuene, Mozambique
| | - Nei-yuan Hsiao
- Division of Medical Virology, Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases in Africa, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Ngiambudulu M. Francisco
- Grupo de Investigação Microbiana e Imunológica, Instituto Nacional de Investigação em Saúde (National Institute for Health Research), Luanda, Angola
| | - Ngonda Saasa
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Nicholas Bbosa
- MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | | | - Nicksy Gumede
- World Health Organization, Africa Region, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Nicole Wolter
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nikita Sitharam
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Nnaemeka Ndodo
- Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Nnennaya A. Ajayi
- Internal Medicine Department, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria
| | - Noël Tordo
- Institut Pasteur de Guinée, Conarky, Guinea
| | - Nokuzola Mbhele
- Division of Medical Virology, Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases in Africa, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Nosamiefan Iguosadolo
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Nwando Mba
- Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Ojide C. Kingsley
- Virology Laboratory, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria
| | - Okogbenin Sylvanus
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria
| | - Oladiji Femi
- Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, Faculty of Clinical Sciences. College of Health Sciences. University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
| | - Olubusuyi M. Adewumi
- Department of Virology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Infectious Disease Institute, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Olumade Testimony
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Olusola A. Ogunsanya
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Oluwatosin Fakayode
- Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
| | - Onwe E. Ogah
- Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria
| | - Ope-Ewe Oludayo
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Ousmane Faye
- Virology Department, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | | | - Pascale Ondoa
- African Society for Laboratory Medicine, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Patricia Nabisubi
- The African Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Data-Intensive Sciences, The Infectious Diseases Institute, Kampala, Uganda
- Immunology and Molecular Biology, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Paul E. Oluniyi
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Paulo Arnaldo
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Marracuene, Mozambique
| | - Peter Kojo Quashie
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Peter O. Okokhere
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria
| | - Philip Bejon
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Philippe Dussart
- Virology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Phillip A. Bester
- Division of Virology, National Health Laboratory Service and University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Placide K. Mbala
- Pathogen Sequencing Lab, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Pontiano Kaleebu
- MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
- Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Priscilla Abechi
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Rabeh El-Shesheny
- Center of Scientific Excellence for Influenza Viruses, National Research Centre (NRC), Cairo, Egypt
- Infectious Hazards Preparedness, World Health Organization, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Rageema Joseph
- Division of Medical Virology, Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases in Africa, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ramy Karam Aziz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- Microbiology and Immunology Research Program, Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt, Cairo, Egypt
| | - René G. Essomba
- National Public Health Laboratory, Ministry of Public Health of Cameroon, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Reuben Ayivor-Djanie
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- UHAS COVID-19 Testing and Research Centre, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31, Ho, Ghana
| | - Richard Njouom
- Virology Service, Centre Pasteur of Cameroun, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Richard O. Phillips
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Richmond Gorman
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | | | - Rosa Maria D. E. S. A. Neto Rodrigues
- Coordenadora da rede do Diagnóstico Tuberculose/HIV/COVID-19 na Instituição - Laboratório Nacional de Referência da Tuberculose em São Tomé e Príncipe, São Tomé, São Tomé and Principe
- Ponto focal para Melhoria da qualidade dos Laboratórios (SLIPTA) ao nível de São Tomé e Príncipe, São Tomé, São Tomé and Principe
| | - Rosemary A. Audu
- The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Rosina A. A. Carr
- UHAS COVID-19 Testing and Research Centre, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31, Ho, Ghana
| | - Saba Gargouri
- CHU Habib Bourguiba, Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Saber Masmoudi
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Screening Processes, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
| | | | - Safietou Sankhe
- Virology Department, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | | | - Saibu Femi
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Salma Mhalla
- University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Research Laboratory LR99ES09, Tunis, Tunisia
- Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Salome Hosch
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Samar Kamal Kassim
- Faculty of Medicine Ain Shams Research Institute (MASRI), Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Samar Metha
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sameh Trabelsi
- Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology Lab, LR16SP02, National Center of Pharmacovigilance, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Sara Hassan Agwa
- Faculty of Medicine Ain Shams Research Institute (MASRI), Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Sarah Wambui Mwangi
- Institute of Pathogen Genomics, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Seydou Doumbia
- University Clinical Research Center (UCRC), University of Sciences, Techniques and Technology of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Sheila Makiala-Mandanda
- Pathogen Sequencing Lab, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Sherihane Aryeetey
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | | | | | - Siham Elhamoumi
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sikhulile Moyo
- Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership and Botswana Harvard HIV Reference Laboratory, Gaborone, Botswana
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Silvia Lutucuta
- Grupo de Investigação Microbiana e Imunológica, Instituto Nacional de Investigação em Saúde (National Institute for Health Research), Luanda, Angola
| | - Simani Gaseitsiwe
- Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership and Botswana Harvard HIV Reference Laboratory, Gaborone, Botswana
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Simbirie Jalloh
- Viral Haemorrhagic Fever Laboratory, Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema, Sierra Leone
- Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | | | - Sobajo Oguntope
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | | | - Sonia Lekana-Douki
- Centre Interdisciplinaires de Recherches Medicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
| | | | - Soumeya Ouangraoua
- Centre MURAZ, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
- National Institute of Public Health of Burkina Faso (INSP/BF), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Stephanie van Wyk
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Stephen F. Schaffner
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Stephen Kanyerezi
- The African Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Data-Intensive Sciences, The Infectious Diseases Institute, Kampala, Uganda
- Immunology and Molecular Biology, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Steve Ahuka-Mundeke
- Pathogen Sequencing Lab, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Sureshnee Pillay
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Susan Nabadda
- Central Public Health Laboratories (CPHL), Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sylvie Behillil
- National Reference Center for Respiratory Viruses, Molecular Genetics of RNA Viruses, UMR 3569 CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | | | - Sylvie van der Werf
- National Reference Center for Respiratory Viruses, Molecular Genetics of RNA Viruses, UMR 3569 CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Tapfumanei Mashe
- National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Harare, Zimbabwe
- World Health Organization, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Thabo Mohale
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Thirumalaisamy P. Velavan
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Vietnamese-German Center for Medical Research, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Tobias Schindler
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones de Baney, Baney, Equatorial Guinea
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tongai G. Maponga
- Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Trevor Bedford
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ugochukwu J. Anyaneji
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Ugwu Chinedu
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Upasana Ramphal
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Durban, South Africa
- Sub-Saharan African Network For TB/HIV Research Excellence (SANTHE), Durban, South Africa
| | - Uwem E. George
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Vincent Enouf
- National Reference Center for Respiratory Viruses, Molecular Genetics of RNA Viruses, UMR 3569 CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Vishvanath Nene
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Vivianne Gorova
- World Health Organization, WHO Lesotho, Maseru, Lesotho
- Med24 Medical Centre, Ruwa, Zimbabwe
| | | | - Wasim Abdul Karim
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - William K. Ampofo
- Department of Virology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Wolfgang Preiser
- Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
- National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Wonderful T. Choga
- Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership and Botswana Harvard HIV Reference Laboratory, Gaborone, Botswana
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Yahaya Ali Ahmed
- World Health Organization, Africa Region, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Yajna Ramphal
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Yaw Bediako
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Yemaachi Biotech, Accra, Ghana
| | - Yeshnee Naidoo
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Yvan Butera
- Rwanda National Joint Task Force COVID-19, Rwanda Biomedical Centre, Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda
- Center for Human Genetics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Laboratory of Human Genetics, GIGA Research Institute, Liège, Belgium
| | | | - Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative (Africa PGI)
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK
- The Biotechnology Centre of the University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- CDC Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Institute of Pathogen Genomics, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Computational Biology Division, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Medical Virology, Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases in Africa, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Durban, South Africa
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Virology Department, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Cancer Biology Department, Virology and Immunology Unit, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- World Health Organization, Africa Region, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- Centre d’Infectiologie Charles Mérieux-Mali (CICM-Mali), Bamako, Mali
- Bacteriology and Virology Department Souro Sanou University Hospital, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
- West African Health Organisation, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Kassala University, Kassala City, Sudan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Gezira, Gezira, Sudan
- General Administration of Laboratories and Blood Banks, Ministry of Health, Kassala State, Sudan
- MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM, Fajara, Gambia
- National Public Health Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Juba, Republic of South Sudan
- Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli, Libya
- Center for Medical and Sanitary Research (CERMES), Niamey, Niger
- The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
- Laboratoire de la Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale, Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti
- Department of Virology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Infectious Disease Institute, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Medical Microbiology and Parasitology Department, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Biorepository Clinical Virology Laboratory, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
- The Pirbright Institute, Woking, UK
- Pathogen Sequencing Lab, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Harare, Zimbabwe
- Center of Scientific Excellence for Influenza Viruses, National Research Centre (NRC), Cairo, Egypt
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Screening Processes, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Genomics and Epigenomics Program, Research Department CCHE57357, Cairo, Egypt
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular Jean Piaget, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- University Jean Piaget in Guinea-Bissau, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- SAMRC Bioinformatics Unit, SA Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
- Central Public Health Reference Laboratories, Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Centre de Recherche et de Formation en Infectiologie de Guinée (CERFIG), Université de Conakry, Conakry, Guinea
- TransVIHMI, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Montpellier University, 34090, Montpellier, France
- University Clinical Research Center (UCRC), University of Sciences, Techniques and Technology of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Central Public Health Laboratories (CPHL), Cairo, Egypt
- National Institute of Public Health, Bujumbura, Burundi
- Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques Virales du Benin, Cotonou, Benin
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, WHO Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Measles in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, University Tunis El Manar (UTM), Tunis 1002, Tunisia
- Research Laboratory “Virus, Vectors and Hosts: One Health Apporach and Technological Innovation for a Better Health”, LR20IPT02, Pasteur Institute, Tunis 1002, Tunisia
- Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Viral Haemorrhagic Fever Laboratory, Kenema Government Hospital, Kenema, Sierra Leone
- Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Department of Immunology, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, P.M.B. 1414, Maiduguri, Nigeria
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria
- Centre Interdisciplinaires de Recherches Medicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
- Département de Parasitologie-Mycologie Université des Sciences de la Santé (USS), Libreville, Gabon
- National HIV Reference Laboratory, Community Health Sciences Unit, Ministry of Health, Lilongwe, Malawi
- African Society for Laboratory Medicine, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- National Medical and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti
- Africa CDC, Rapid Responder, Team Djibouti, Djibouti, Djibouti
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
- Seychelles Public Health Laboratory, Public Health Authority, Ministry of Health Seychelles, Victoria, Seychelles
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Virology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
- National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Cape Town, South Africa
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
- University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA
- SAMRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- CHU de Bouaké, Laboratoire/Unité de Diagnostic des Virus des Fièvres Hémorragiques et Virus Émergents, Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire
- UFR Sciences Médicales, Universite Alassane Ouattara, Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire
- School of Public Health, Pwani University, Kilifi, Kenya
- Faculty of Science and Techniques, University Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- Centre for Human Virology and Genomics, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
- Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Abuja, Nigeria
- Laboratoire des Arbovirus, Fièvres Hémorragiques virales, Virus Emergents et Zoonoses, Institut Pasteur de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic
- Le Laboratoire National de Biologie Clinique et de Santé Publique (LNBCSP), Bangui, Central African Republic
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria
- PATH, Lusaka, Zambia
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- School of Life Sciences and Zeeman Institute for Systems Biology and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Research (SBIDER), University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
- Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
- PathCare Vermaak, Pretoria, South Africa and Division of Virology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
- College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership and Botswana Harvard HIV Reference Laboratory, Gaborone, Botswana
- Macha Research Trust, Choma, Zambia
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
- INRSP, Nouakchott, Mauritania
- Faculté de Médecine de Nouakchott, Nouakchott, Mauritani
- Rwanda National Reference Laboratory, Kigali, Rwanda
- Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
- G5 Evolutionary Genomics of RNA Viruses, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Direcção Nacional da Saúde Pública, Ministério da Saúde, Luanda, Angola
- National Public Health Reference Laboratory–National Public Health Institute of Liberia, Monrovia, Liberia
- Faculty of Pharmacy of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- National Influenza Centre, Institut Pasteur d’Algérie, Algiers, Algeria
- Department of Virology, National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Ministère de Santé Publique et de la Solidarité Nationale, Ndjamena, Chad
- WHO Int Comoros, Moroni, Union of Comoros
- World Health Organization, Africa Region, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
- National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
- UHAS COVID-19 Testing and Research Centre, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31, Ho, Ghana
- Ministry of Health, COVID-19 Testing Laboratory, Mbabane, Kingdom of Eswatini
- Satellite Molecular Laboratory, Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- CHU Habib Bourguiba, Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Central Public Health Laboratories (CPHL), Kampala, Uganda
- Institut Pasteur de Côte d’Ivoire, Departement des Virus Epidemiques, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
- Faculty of Medicine Ain Shams Research Institute (MASRI), Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
- Doctoral School of Technical and Environmental Sciences, Department of Biology and Human Health, N’Djamena, Chad
- Department of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Charles Nicolle Hospital, Laboratory of Microbiology, National Influenza Center, Tunis, Tunisia
- University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Research Laboratory LR99ES09, Tunis, Tunisia
- College of Medicine and Allied Health Science, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Namibia Institute of Pathology, Windhoek, Namibia
- National Institute of Hygiene, Lomé, Togo
- Virology/Molecular Biology Department, Central Health Laboratory, Victoria Hospital, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Port Louis, Mauritius
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- WHO Burundi, Gitega, Burundi
- Grupo de Investigação Microbiana e Imunológica, Instituto Nacional de Investigação em Saúde (National Institute for Health Research), Luanda, Angola
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Agostinho Neto, Luanda, Angola
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Unaí, Brazil
- WHO South Sudan, Juba, South Sudan
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Burundi, Bujumbura, Burundi
- Pasteur Network, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation, Gaborone, Botswana
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde Pública, Praia, Cape Verde
- Zambia National Public Health Institute, Lusaka, Zambia
- Public Health Institute of Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
- National Health Laboratory, Gaborone, Botswana
- Laboratory of Transmissible Diseases and Biologically Active Substances (LR99ES27), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University Hospital of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Biomedical Informatics and Chemoinformatics Group, Informatics and Systems Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
- Ministry of Health and Wellness, Gaborone, Botswana
- Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone, Kenema, Sierra Leone
- Zoonotic Arbo and Respiratory Virus Program, Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Next Generation Sequencing Unit and Division of Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
- National Reference Laboratory Lesotho, Maseru, Lesotho
- Centre for Biotechnology Research and Development, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones de Baney, Baney, Equatorial Guinea
- Ifakara Health Insitute, Ifakara, Tanzania
- Department of Medical Diagnostics, Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- PraesensBio, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
- Systems and Biomedical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Biological Prevention Department, Ministry of Defence, Cairo, Egypt
- Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
- Molecular Pathology Lab, Children’s Cancer Hospital, Cairo, Egypt
- Laboratoire Biolim FSS/Université de Lomé, Lomé, Togo
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- High Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, University of Monastir, Rue Taher Haddad 5000, Monastir, Tunisia
- Rwanda National Joint Task Force COVID-19, Rwanda Biomedical Centre, Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda
- School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Omdurman Islamic University, Sudan
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Marracuene, Mozambique
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
- Internal Medicine Department, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria
- Institut Pasteur de Guinée, Conarky, Guinea
- Virology Laboratory, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria
- Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, Faculty of Clinical Sciences. College of Health Sciences. University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
- Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
- Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria
- Mayotte Hospital Center, Mayotte, France
- The African Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Data-Intensive Sciences, The Infectious Diseases Institute, Kampala, Uganda
- Immunology and Molecular Biology, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria
- Division of Virology, National Health Laboratory Service and University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
- Infectious Hazards Preparedness, World Health Organization, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, Cairo, Egypt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- Microbiology and Immunology Research Program, Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt, Cairo, Egypt
- National Public Health Laboratory, Ministry of Public Health of Cameroon, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Virology Service, Centre Pasteur of Cameroun, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Coordenadora da rede do Diagnóstico Tuberculose/HIV/COVID-19 na Instituição - Laboratório Nacional de Referência da Tuberculose em São Tomé e Príncipe, São Tomé, São Tomé and Principe
- Ponto focal para Melhoria da qualidade dos Laboratórios (SLIPTA) ao nível de São Tomé e Príncipe, São Tomé, São Tomé and Principe
- National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL), Mogadishu, Somalia
- Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology Lab, LR16SP02, National Center of Pharmacovigilance, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Centre MURAZ, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
- National Institute of Public Health of Burkina Faso (INSP/BF), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
- National Reference Center for Respiratory Viruses, Molecular Genetics of RNA Viruses, UMR 3569 CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- World Health Organization, Harare, Zimbabwe
- Vietnamese-German Center for Medical Research, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Sub-Saharan African Network For TB/HIV Research Excellence (SANTHE), Durban, South Africa
- World Health Organization, WHO Lesotho, Maseru, Lesotho
- Med24 Medical Centre, Ruwa, Zimbabwe
- Department of Virology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Yemaachi Biotech, Accra, Ghana
- Center for Human Genetics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Laboratory of Human Genetics, GIGA Research Institute, Liège, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Pwani University, Kilifi, Kenya
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ahmed E. O. Ouma
- Institute of Pathogen Genomics, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Anne von Gottberg
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - George Githinji
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Pwani University, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Matshidiso Moeti
- World Health Organization, Africa Region, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Oyewale Tomori
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Pardis C. Sabeti
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Amadou A. Sall
- Virology Department, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Samuel O. Oyola
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Yenew K. Tebeje
- Institute of Pathogen Genomics, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Sofonias K. Tessema
- Institute of Pathogen Genomics, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tulio de Oliveira
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Durban, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christian Happi
- African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Richard Lessells
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - John Nkengasong
- Institute of Pathogen Genomics, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Eduan Wilkinson
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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39
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Grobbelaar LM, Kruger A, Venter C, Burger EM, Laubscher GJ, Maponga TG, Kotze MJ, Kwaan HC, Miller JB, Fulkerson D, Huff W, Chang E, Wiarda G, Bunch CM, Walsh MM, Raza S, Zamlut M, Moore HB, Moore EE, Neal MD, Kell DB, Pretorius E. Relative Hypercoagulopathy of the SARS-CoV-2 Beta and Delta Variants when Compared to the Less Severe Omicron Variants Is Related to TEG Parameters, the Extent of Fibrin Amyloid Microclots, and the Severity of Clinical Illness. Semin Thromb Hemost 2022; 48:858-868. [PMID: 36174604 DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1756306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Earlier variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been associated with plasma hypercoagulability (as judged by thromboelastography) and an extensive formation of fibrin amyloid microclots, which are considered to contribute to the pathology of the coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19). The newer Omicron variants appear to be far more transmissible, but less virulent, even when taking immunity acquired from previous infections or vaccination into account. We here show that while the clotting parameters associated with Omicron variants are significantly raised over those of healthy, matched controls, they are only raised to levels significantly lower than those seen with more severe variants such as beta and delta. We also observed that individuals infected with omicron variants manifested less extensive microclot formation in platelet-poor plasma compared with those harboring the more virulent variants. The measurement of clotting effects between the different variants acts as a kind of "internal control" that demonstrates the relationship between the extent of coagulopathies and the virulence of the variant of interest. This adds to the evidence that microclots may play an important role in reflecting the severity of symptoms observed in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lize M Grobbelaar
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Arneaux Kruger
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Chantelle Venter
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Matieland, South Africa
| | | | | | - Tongai G Maponga
- Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Maritha J Kotze
- Division of Chemical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University and National Health Laboratory Service, Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Hau C Kwaan
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Joseph B Miller
- Departments of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Daniel Fulkerson
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Mishawaka, Indiana
| | - Wei Huff
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Mishawaka, Indiana
| | - Eric Chang
- Indiana University School of Medicine - South Bend, Notre Dame, Indiana
| | - Grant Wiarda
- Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, Mishawaka, Indiana
| | - Connor M Bunch
- Departments of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Mark M Walsh
- Indiana University School of Medicine - South Bend, Notre Dame, Indiana.,Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, Mishawaka, Indiana.,Department of Emergency Medicine, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, Mishawaka, Indiana
| | - Syed Raza
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, Mishawaka, Indiana
| | - Mahmud Zamlut
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, Mishawaka, Indiana
| | - Hunter B Moore
- Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, Denver Health and University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado
| | - Ernest E Moore
- Department of Surgery, Ernest E. Moore Shock Trauma Center at Denver Health and University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado
| | - Matthew D Neal
- Pittsburgh Trauma Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Douglas B Kell
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Matieland, South Africa.,Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.,The Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Etheresia Pretorius
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Matieland, South Africa.,The Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
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40
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Gao L, Zheng C, Shi Q, Wang L, Tia A, Ngobeh J, Liu Z, Dong X, Li Z. Multiple introduced lineages and the single native lineage co-driving the four waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in West Africa. Front Public Health 2022; 10:957277. [PMID: 36187679 PMCID: PMC9521358 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.957277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a vast burden on public health and socioeconomics in West Africa, but the epidemic situation is unclear. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective analysis of the positive rate, death rate, and diversity of SARS-CoV-2. As of March 31, 2022, a total of 894,813 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded, with 12,028 deaths, both of which were distributed in all 16 countries. There were four waves of COVID-19 during this period. Most cases were recorded in the second wave, accounting for 34.50% of total cases. These data suggest that although West Africa seems to have experienced a low and relatively slow spread of COVID-19, the epidemic was ongoing, evolving with each COVID-19 global pandemic wave. Most cases and most deaths were both recorded in Nigeria. In contrast, the fewest cases and fewest deaths were reported, respectively, in Liberia and Sierra Leone. However, high death rates were found in countries with low incidence rates. These data suggest that the pandemic in West Africa has so far been heterogeneous, which is closely related to the infrastructure of public health and socioeconomic development (e.g., extreme poverty, GDP per capita, and human development index). At least eight SARS-CoV-2 variants were found, namely, Delta, Omicron, Eta, Alpha, Beta, Kappa, Iota, and Gamma, which showed high diversity, implicating that multiple-lineages from different origins were introduced. Moreover, the Eta variant was initially identified in Nigeria and distributed widely. These data reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic in the continent was co-driven by both multiple introduced lineages and a single native lineage. We suggest enhancing the quarantine measures upon entry at the borders and implementing a genome surveillance strategy to better understand the transmission dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic in West Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China,Sierra Leone-China Friendship Biological Safety Laboratory, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Canjun Zheng
- Sierra Leone-China Friendship Biological Safety Laboratory, Freetown, Sierra Leone,Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Lili Wang
- Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Alie Tia
- Sierra Leone-China Friendship Biological Safety Laboratory, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Jone Ngobeh
- Sierra Leone-China Friendship Biological Safety Laboratory, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Zhiguo Liu
- Sierra Leone-China Friendship Biological Safety Laboratory, Freetown, Sierra Leone,State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Zhiguo Liu
| | - Xiaoping Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China,Xiaoping Dong
| | - Zhenjun Li
- Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China,State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China,Zhenjun Li
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41
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Li X, Pan Y, Yin Q, Wang Z, Shan S, Zhang L, Yu J, Qu Y, Sun L, Gui F, Lu J, Jing Z, Wu W, Huang T, Shi X, Li J, Li X, Li D, Wang S, Yang M, Zhang L, Duan K, Liang M, Yang X, Wang X. Structural basis of a two-antibody cocktail exhibiting highly potent and broadly neutralizing activities against SARS-CoV-2 variants including diverse Omicron sublineages. Cell Discov 2022; 8:87. [PMID: 36075908 PMCID: PMC9453709 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-022-00449-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs), especially the latest Omicron, have exhibited severe antibody evasion. Broadly neutralizing antibodies with high potency against Omicron are urgently needed for understanding the working mechanisms and developing therapeutic agents. In this study, we characterized the previously reported F61, which was isolated from convalescent patients infected with prototype SARS-CoV-2, as a broadly neutralizing antibody against all VOCs including Omicron BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, BA.3 and BA.4 sublineages by utilizing antigen binding and cell infection assays. We also identified and characterized another broadly neutralizing antibody D2 with epitope distinct from that of F61. More importantly, we showed that a combination of F61 with D2 exhibited synergy in neutralization and protecting mice from SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron BA.1 variants. Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) structures of the spike-F61 and spike-D2 binary complexes revealed the distinct epitopes of F61 and D2 at atomic level and the structural basis for neutralization. Cryo-EM structure of the Omicron-spike-F61-D2 ternary complex provides further structural insights into the synergy between F61 and D2. These results collectively indicated F61 and F61-D2 cocktail as promising therapeutic antibodies for combating SARS-CoV-2 variants including diverse Omicron sublineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoman Li
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yongbing Pan
- National Engineering Technology Research Center for Combined Vaccines, Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Qiangling Yin
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Genetic Engineering, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Zejun Wang
- National Engineering Technology Research Center for Combined Vaccines, Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Sisi Shan
- NexVac Research Center, Comprehensive AIDS Research Center, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Laixing Zhang
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinfang Yu
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Qu
- Institution of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Lina Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Genetic Engineering, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Fang Gui
- National Engineering Technology Research Center for Combined Vaccines, Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jia Lu
- National Engineering Technology Research Center for Combined Vaccines, Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhaofei Jing
- National Engineering Technology Research Center for Combined Vaccines, Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Wei Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Genetic Engineering, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Genetic Engineering, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xuanling Shi
- NexVac Research Center, Comprehensive AIDS Research Center, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiandong Li
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Genetic Engineering, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xinguo Li
- National Engineering Technology Research Center for Combined Vaccines, Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Dexin Li
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Genetic Engineering, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.,CDC-WIV Joint Research Center for Emerging Diseases and Biosafety, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shiwen Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Genetic Engineering, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.,CDC-WIV Joint Research Center for Emerging Diseases and Biosafety, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Maojun Yang
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Linqi Zhang
- NexVac Research Center, Comprehensive AIDS Research Center, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Duan
- National Engineering Technology Research Center for Combined Vaccines, Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Mifang Liang
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Genetic Engineering, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China. .,CDC-WIV Joint Research Center for Emerging Diseases and Biosafety, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
| | - Xiaoming Yang
- National Engineering Technology Research Center for Combined Vaccines, Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., Wuhan, Hubei, China.
| | - Xinquan Wang
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
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42
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Giovanetti M, Slavov SN, Fonseca V, Wilkinson E, Tegally H, Patané JSL, Viala VL, San EJ, Rodrigues ES, Santos EV, Aburjaile F, Xavier J, Fritsch H, Adelino TER, Pereira F, Leal A, Iani FCDM, de Carvalho Pereira G, Vazquez C, Sanabria GME, Oliveira ECD, Demarchi L, Croda J, Dos Santos Bezerra R, Paola Oliveira de Lima L, Martins AJ, Renata Dos Santos Barros C, Marqueze EC, de Souza Todao Bernardino J, Moretti DB, Brassaloti RA, de Lello Rocha Campos Cassano R, Mariani PDSC, Kitajima JP, Santos B, Proto-Siqueira R, Cantarelli VV, Tosta S, Nardy VB, Reboredo de Oliveira da Silva L, Gómez MKA, Lima JG, Ribeiro AA, Guimarães NR, Watanabe LT, Barbosa Da Silva L, da Silva Ferreira R, da Penha MPF, Ortega MJ, de la Fuente AG, Villalba S, Torales J, Gamarra ML, Aquino C, Figueredo GPM, Fava WS, Motta-Castro ARC, Venturini J, do Vale Leone de Oliveira SM, Gonçalves CCM, do Carmo Debur Rossa M, Becker GN, Giacomini MP, Marques NQ, Riediger IN, Raboni S, Mattoso G, Cataneo AD, Zanluca C, Duarte Dos Santos CN, Assato PA, Allan da Silva da Costa F, Poleti MD, Lesbon JCC, Mattos EC, Banho CA, Sacchetto L, Moraes MM, Grotto RMT, Souza-Neto JA, Nogueira ML, Fukumasu H, Coutinho LL, Calado RT, Neto RM, Bispo de Filippis AM, Venancio da Cunha R, Freitas C, Peterka CRL, de Fátima Rangel Fernandes C, Navegantes W, do Carmo Said RF, Campelo de A E Melo CF, Almiron M, Lourenço J, de Oliveira T, Holmes EC, Haddad R, Sampaio SC, Elias MC, Kashima S, Junior de Alcantara LC, Covas DT. Genomic epidemiology of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Brazil. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1490-1500. [PMID: 35982313 PMCID: PMC9417986 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01191-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The high numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Brazil have made Latin America an epicentre of the pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 established sustained transmission in Brazil early in the pandemic, but important gaps remain in our understanding of virus transmission dynamics at a national scale. We use 17,135 near-complete genomes sampled from 27 Brazilian states and bordering country Paraguay. From March to November 2020, we detected co-circulation of multiple viral lineages that were linked to multiple importations (predominantly from Europe). After November 2020, we detected large, local transmission clusters within the country. In the absence of effective restriction measures, the epidemic progressed, and in January 2021 there was emergence and onward spread, both within and abroad, of variants of concern and variants under monitoring, including Gamma (P.1) and Zeta (P.2). We also characterized a genomic overview of the epidemic in Paraguay and detected evidence of importation of SARS-CoV-2 ancestor lineages and variants of concern from Brazil. Our findings show that genomic surveillance in Brazil enabled assessment of the real-time spread of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Giovanetti
- Laboratório de Flavivirus, Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratório de Genética Celular e Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Department of Science and Technology for Humans and the Environment, University of Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Svetoslav Nanev Slavov
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vagner Fonseca
- Laboratório de Genética Celular e Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO), Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Eduan Wilkinson
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Houriiyah Tegally
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | | | | | - Emmanuel James San
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Evandra Strazza Rodrigues
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Elaine Vieira Santos
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Flavia Aburjaile
- Laboratório de Genética Celular e Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Joilson Xavier
- Laboratório de Genética Celular e Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado de Minas Gerais (LACEN-MG), Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Hegger Fritsch
- Laboratório de Genética Celular e Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado de Minas Gerais (LACEN-MG), Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Talita Emile Ribeiro Adelino
- Laboratório de Genética Celular e Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado de Minas Gerais (LACEN-MG), Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Felicidade Pereira
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado da Bahia (LACEN-BA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Arabela Leal
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado da Bahia (LACEN-BA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Felipe Campos de Melo Iani
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado de Minas Gerais (LACEN-MG), Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Glauco de Carvalho Pereira
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado de Minas Gerais (LACEN-MG), Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Gladys Mercedes Estigarribia Sanabria
- Laboratório Central de Salud Pública, Asunción, Paraguay
- Instituto Regional de Investigación em Salud, Universidad Nacional del Caaguazú, Caaguazú, Paraguay
- Laboratório de Biología Molecular, Hospital Regional de Coronel Oviedo, Ministerio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social, Asunción, Paraguay
| | | | - Luiz Demarchi
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul (LACEN-MS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Julio Croda
- Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Rafael Dos Santos Bezerra
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Vlademir Vicente Cantarelli
- Universidade Federal de Ciencias da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Universidade Feevale, Grupo Exame Laboratórios, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Stephane Tosta
- Laboratório de Genética Celular e Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado da Bahia (LACEN-BA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Brandão Nardy
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado da Bahia (LACEN-BA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | | | | | - Jaqueline Gomes Lima
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado da Bahia (LACEN-BA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Adriana Aparecida Ribeiro
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado de Minas Gerais (LACEN-MG), Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Natália Rocha Guimarães
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado de Minas Gerais (LACEN-MG), Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luiz Takao Watanabe
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado de Mato Grosso (LACEN-MT), Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Luana Barbosa Da Silva
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado de Mato Grosso (LACEN-MT), Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Raquel da Silva Ferreira
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado de Mato Grosso (LACEN-MT), Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Juan Torales
- Laboratório Central de Salud Pública, Asunción, Paraguay
| | | | | | - Gloria Patricia Martínez Figueredo
- Laboratório Central de Salud Pública, Asunción, Paraguay
- Instituto Regional de Investigación em Salud, Universidad Nacional del Caaguazú, Caaguazú, Paraguay
- Laboratório de Biología Molecular, Hospital Regional de Coronel Oviedo, Ministerio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social, Asunción, Paraguay
| | | | | | - James Venturini
- Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Guilherme Nardi Becker
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado do Paraná (Lacen-PR), Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | | | - Nelson Quallio Marques
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado do Paraná (Lacen-PR), Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | | | - Sonia Raboni
- Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Mattoso
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fiocruz-PR, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Allan D Cataneo
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fiocruz-PR, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Camila Zanluca
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fiocruz-PR, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | | | - Patricia Akemi Assato
- Department of Bioprocesses and Biotechnology, School of Agricultural Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Felipe Allan da Silva da Costa
- Department of Bioprocesses and Biotechnology, School of Agricultural Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mirele Daiana Poleti
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jessika Cristina Chagas Lesbon
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Elisangela Chicaroni Mattos
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cecilia Artico Banho
- Medicine School of São José do Rio Preto (FAMERP), São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lívia Sacchetto
- Medicine School of São José do Rio Preto (FAMERP), São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marília Mazzi Moraes
- Medicine School of São José do Rio Preto (FAMERP), São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rejane Maria Tommasini Grotto
- Department of Bioprocesses and Biotechnology, School of Agricultural Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Applied Biotechnology Laboratory, Clinical Hospital of the Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jayme A Souza-Neto
- Department of Bioprocesses and Biotechnology, School of Agricultural Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Heidge Fukumasu
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luiz Lehmann Coutinho
- Centro de Genômica Funcional da ESALQ, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Tocantins Calado
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Carla Freitas
- Coordenação Geral dos Laboratórios de Saúde Pública/Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Ministério da Saúde, (CGLAB/SVS-MS), Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Cassio Roberto Leonel Peterka
- Coordenação Geral das Arboviroses, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde/Ministério da Saúde (CGARB/SVS-MS), Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Cássia de Fátima Rangel Fernandes
- Departamento de Imunização e Doenças Transmissíveisa/Secretaria de Vigilancia em Saude, Ministerio da Saude, Brasılia, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Wildo Navegantes
- Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO), Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | | | | | - Maria Almiron
- Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO), Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - José Lourenço
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Tulio de Oliveira
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado de Minas Gerais (LACEN-MG), Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Durban, South Africa
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Edward C Holmes
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Simone Kashima
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Luiz Carlos Junior de Alcantara
- Laboratório de Flavivirus, Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Laboratório de Genética Celular e Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Dimas Tadeu Covas
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil.
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43
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Madi N, Sadeq M, Essa S, Safar HA, Al-Adwani A, Al-Khabbaz M. Strain Variation Based on Spike Glycoprotein Gene of SARS-CoV-2 in Kuwait from 2020 to 2021. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11090985. [PMID: 36145416 PMCID: PMC9505955 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11090985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. With the global transmission of the virus, many SARS-CoV-2 variants have emerged due to the alterations of the spike glycoprotein. Therefore, the S glycoprotein encoding gene has widely been used for the molecular analysis of SARS-Co-2 due to its features affecting antigenicity and immunogenicity. We analyzed the S gene sequences of 35 SARS-CoV-2 isolates in Kuwait from March 2020 to February 2021 using the Sanger method and MinION nanopore technology to confirm novel nucleotide alterations. Our results show that the Kuwaiti strains from clade 19A and B were the dominant variants early in the pandemic, while clade 20I (Alpha, V1) was the dominant variant from February 2021 onward. Besides the known mutations, 21 nucleotide deletions in the S glycoprotein in one Kuwaiti strain were detected, which might reveal a recombinant SARS-CoV-2 with the defective viral genome (DVG). This study emphasizes the importance of closely perceiving the emerging clades with these mutations during this continuous pandemic as some may influence the specificity of diagnostic tests, such as RT-PCR and even vaccine design directing these positions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nada Madi
- Virology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat 13110, Kuwait
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +965-99736265; Fax: +965-25332719
| | - Mohammad Sadeq
- Jaber Al-Ahmad Armed Forces Hospital, Sabhan 91710, Kuwait
| | - Sahar Essa
- Virology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat 13110, Kuwait
| | - Hussain A. Safar
- Research Core Facility and OMICS Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat 13110, Kuwait
| | - Anfal Al-Adwani
- Virology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat 13110, Kuwait
| | - Marwa Al-Khabbaz
- Virology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat 13110, Kuwait
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Assessing the Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Lineages and Mutations on Patient Survival. Viruses 2022; 14:v14091893. [PMID: 36146700 PMCID: PMC9500738 DOI: 10.3390/v14091893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: More than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 still remains a global public health problem. Successive waves of infection have produced new SARS-CoV-2 variants with new mutations for which the impact on COVID-19 severity and patient survival is uncertain. Methods: A total of 764 SARS-CoV-2 genomes, sequenced from COVID-19 patients, hospitalized from 19th February 2020 to 30 April 2021, along with their clinical data, were used for survival analysis. Results: A significant association of B.1.1.7, the alpha lineage, with patient mortality (log hazard ratio (LHR) = 0.51, C.I. = [0.14,0.88]) was found upon adjustment by all the covariates known to affect COVID-19 prognosis. Moreover, survival analysis of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome revealed 27 of them were significantly associated with higher mortality of patients. Most of these mutations were located in the genes coding for the S, ORF8, and N proteins. Conclusions: This study illustrates how a combination of genomic and clinical data can provide solid evidence for the impact of viral lineage on patient survival.
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Katowa B, Kalonda A, Mubemba B, Matoba J, Shempela DM, Sikalima J, Kabungo B, Changula K, Chitanga S, Kasonde M, Kapona O, Kapata N, Musonda K, Monze M, Tembo J, Bates M, Zumla A, Sutcliffe CG, Kajihara M, Yamagishi J, Takada A, Sawa H, Chilengi R, Mukonka V, Muleya W, Simulundu E. Genomic Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in the Southern Province of Zambia: Detection and Characterization of Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron Variants of Concern. Viruses 2022; 14:v14091865. [PMID: 36146671 PMCID: PMC9504048 DOI: 10.3390/v14091865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) have significantly impacted the global epidemiology of the pandemic. From December 2020 to April 2022, we conducted genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in the Southern Province of Zambia, a region that shares international borders with Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe and is a major tourist destination. Genetic analysis of 40 SARS-CoV-2 whole genomes revealed the circulation of Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Delta (AY.116), and multiple Omicron subvariants with the BA.1 subvariant being predominant. Whereas Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants were associated with the second, third, and fourth pandemic waves, respectively, the Alpha variant was not associated with any wave in the country. Phylogenetic analysis showed evidence of local transmission and possible multiple introductions of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs in Zambia from different European and African countries. Across the 40 genomes analysed, a total of 292 mutations were observed, including 182 missense mutations, 66 synonymous mutations, 23 deletions, 9 insertions, 1 stop codon, and 11 mutations in the non-coding region. This study stresses the need for the continued monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 circulation in Zambia, particularly in strategically positioned regions such as the Southern Province which could be at increased risk of introduction of novel VOCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Katowa
- Macha Research Trust, Choma 20100, Zambia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Annie Kalonda
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Benjamin Mubemba
- Department of Wildlife Sciences, School of Natural Resources, Copperbelt University, Kitwe 50100, Zambia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, Copperbelt University, Ndola 50100, Zambia
| | | | | | - Jay Sikalima
- Churches Health Association of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Boniface Kabungo
- Southern Provincial Health Office, Ministry of Health, Choma 20100, Zambia
| | - Katendi Changula
- Department of Paraclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Simbarashe Chitanga
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Department of Preclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia, Windhoek Private Bag 13301, Namibia
- School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Mpanga Kasonde
- Zambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Otridah Kapona
- Zambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Nathan Kapata
- Zambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Kunda Musonda
- Zambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Mwaka Monze
- Virology Laboratory, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - John Tembo
- HerpeZ Infection Research and Training, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Matthew Bates
- HerpeZ Infection Research and Training, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN6 7TS, UK
| | - Alimuddin Zumla
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Centre for Clinical Microbiology, University College London, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London NW3 2PF, UK
| | - Catherine G. Sutcliffe
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Masahiro Kajihara
- Division of Global Epidemiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
| | - Junya Yamagishi
- Division of Collaboration and Education, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
- International Collaboration Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
| | - Ayato Takada
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Division of Global Epidemiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
- International Collaboration Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
- One Health Research Center, Hokkaido University, N18 W9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Sawa
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Division of Collaboration and Education, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
- One Health Research Center, Hokkaido University, N18 W9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
- Division of Molecular Pathobiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
- Division of International Research Promotion, Hokkaido University International Institute for Zoonosis Control, N20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
- Global Virus Network, 725 W Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Roma Chilengi
- Zambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Republic of Zambia State House, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Victor Mukonka
- Zambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Walter Muleya
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Edgar Simulundu
- Macha Research Trust, Choma 20100, Zambia
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
- Correspondence:
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Shchur V, Spirin V, Sirotkin D, Burovski E, De Maio N, Corbett-Detig R. VGsim: Scalable viral genealogy simulator for global pandemic. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010409. [PMID: 36001646 PMCID: PMC9447924 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate simulation of complex biological processes is an essential component of developing and validating new technologies and inference approaches. As an effort to help contain the COVID-19 pandemic, large numbers of SARS-CoV-2 genomes have been sequenced from most regions in the world. More than 5.5 million viral sequences are publicly available as of November 2021. Many studies estimate viral genealogies from these sequences, as these can provide valuable information about the spread of the pandemic across time and space. Additionally such data are a rich source of information about molecular evolutionary processes including natural selection, for example allowing the identification of new variants with transmissibility and immunity evasion advantages. To our knowledge, there is no framework that is both efficient and flexible enough to simulate the pandemic to approximate world-scale scenarios and generate viral genealogies of millions of samples. Here, we introduce a new fast simulator VGsim which addresses the problem of simulation genealogies under epidemiological models. The simulation process is split into two phases. During the forward run the algorithm generates a chain of population-level events reflecting the dynamics of the pandemic using an hierarchical version of the Gillespie algorithm. During the backward run a coalescent-like approach generates a tree genealogy of samples conditioning on the population-level events chain generated during the forward run. Our software can model complex population structure, epistasis and immunity escape. We develop a fast and flexible simulation software package VGsim for modeling epidemiological processes and generating genealogies of large pathogen samples. The software takes into account host population structure, pathogen evolution, host immunity and some other epidemiological aspects. The computational efficiency of the package allows to simulate genealogies of tens of millions of samples, which is important, e.g., for SARS-CoV-2 genome studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Shchur
- International laboratory of statistical and computational genomics, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
- * E-mail:
| | - Vadim Spirin
- International laboratory of statistical and computational genomics, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry Sirotkin
- International laboratory of statistical and computational genomics, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Nicola De Maio
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
| | - Russell Corbett-Detig
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering and Genomics Institute, UC Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
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Meiring S, Tempia S, Bhiman JN, Buys A, Kleynhans J, Makhasi M, McMorrow M, Moyes J, Quan V, Walaza S, du Plessis M, Wolter N, von Gottberg A, Cohen C. Prolonged Shedding of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at High Viral Loads Among Hospitalized Immunocompromised Persons Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), South Africa. Clin Infect Dis 2022; 75:e144-e156. [PMID: 35134129 PMCID: PMC8903337 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We assessed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA shedding duration and magnitude among persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, PLHIV). METHODS From May through December 2020, we conducted a prospective cohort study at 20 hospitals in South Africa. Adults hospitalized with symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were enrolled and followed every 2 days with nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal (NP/OP) swabs until documentation of cessation of SARS-CoV-2 shedding (2 consecutive negative NP/OP swabs). Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction testing for SARS-CoV-2 was performed, and cycle-threshold (Ct) values < 30 were considered a proxy for high SARS-CoV-2 viral load. Factors associated with prolonged shedding were assessed using accelerated time-failure Weibull regression models. RESULTS Of 2175 COVID-19 patients screened, 300 were enrolled, and 257 individuals (155 HIV-uninfected and 102 PLHIV) had > 1 swabbing visit (median 5 visits [range 2-21]). Median time to cessation of shedding was 13 days (interquartile range [IQR] 6-25) and did not differ significantly by HIV infection. Among a subset of 94 patients (41 PLHIV and 53 HIV-uninfected) with initial respiratory sample Ct-value < 30, median time of shedding at high SARS-CoV-2 viral load was 8 days (IQR 4-17). This was significantly longer in PLHIV with CD4 count < 200 cells/µL, compared to HIV-uninfected persons (median 27 days [IQR 8-43] vs 7 days [IQR 4-13]; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] .07-.28, P < .001), as well as in unsuppressed-HIV versus HIV-uninfected persons. CONCLUSIONS Although SARS-CoV-2 shedding duration did not differ significantly by HIV infection, among a subset with high initial SARS-CoV-2 viral loads, immunocompromised PLHIV shed SARS-CoV-2 at high viral loads for longer than HIV-uninfected persons. Better HIV control may potentially decrease transmission time of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Meiring
- Division of Public Health Surveillance and Response, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, a Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Stefano Tempia
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, a Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jinal N Bhiman
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, a Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Amelia Buys
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, a Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jackie Kleynhans
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, a Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mvuyo Makhasi
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, a Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Meredith McMorrow
- Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Division of Viral Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jocelyn Moyes
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, a Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Vanessa Quan
- Division of Public Health Surveillance and Response, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, a Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sibongile Walaza
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, a Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mignon du Plessis
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, a Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nicole Wolter
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, a Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Anne von Gottberg
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, a Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Cheryl Cohen
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, a Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Sun K, Tempia S, Kleynhans J, von Gottberg A, McMorrow ML, Wolter N, Bhiman JN, Moyes J, du Plessis M, Carrim M, Buys A, Martinson NA, Kahn K, Tollman S, Lebina L, Wafawanaka F, du Toit JD, Gómez-Olivé FX, Mkhencele T, Viboud C, Cohen C. SARS-CoV-2 transmission, persistence of immunity, and estimates of Omicron's impact in South African population cohorts. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabo7081. [PMID: 35638937 PMCID: PMC9161370 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abo7081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the build-up of immunity with successive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants and the epidemiological conditions that favor rapidly expanding epidemics will help facilitate future pandemic control. We analyzed high-resolution infection and serology data from two longitudinal household cohorts in South Africa to reveal high cumulative infection rates and durable cross-protective immunity conferred by prior infection in the pre-Omicron era. Building on the history of past exposures to different SARS-CoV-2 variants and vaccination in the cohort most representative of South Africa's high urbanization rate, we used mathematical models to explore the fitness advantage of the Omicron variant and its epidemic trajectory. Modeling suggests that the Omicron wave likely infected a large fraction (44 to 81%) of the population, leaving a complex landscape of population immunity primed and boosted with antigenically distinct variants. We project that future SARS-CoV-2 resurgences are likely under a range of scenarios of viral characteristics, population contacts, and residual cross-protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyuan Sun
- Division of International Epidemiology and Population Studies, Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-2220, United States of America
| | - Stefano Tempia
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, 2131, South Africa
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
- Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, 30333, United States of America
| | - Jackie Kleynhans
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, 2131, South Africa
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Anne von Gottberg
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, 2131, South Africa
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa
| | - Meredith L McMorrow
- Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, 30333, United States of America
| | - Nicole Wolter
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, 2131, South Africa
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa
| | - Jinal N. Bhiman
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, 2131, South Africa
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa
| | - Jocelyn Moyes
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, 2131, South Africa
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Mignon du Plessis
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, 2131, South Africa
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa
| | - Maimuna Carrim
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, 2131, South Africa
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa
| | - Amelia Buys
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, 2131, South Africa
| | - Neil A Martinson
- Perinatal HIV Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, 1864, South Africa
- Johns Hopkins University Center for TB Research, Baltimore, Maryland, 21287, United States of America
| | - Kathleen Kahn
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Stephen Tollman
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Limakatso Lebina
- Perinatal HIV Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, 1864, South Africa
| | - Floidy Wafawanaka
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Jacques D. du Toit
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Francesc Xavier Gómez-Olivé
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Thulisa Mkhencele
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, 2131, South Africa
| | - Cécile Viboud
- Division of International Epidemiology and Population Studies, Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-2220, United States of America
| | - Cheryl Cohen
- Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, 2131, South Africa
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
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Magnus CL, Hiergeist A, Schuster P, Rohrhofer A, Medenbach J, Gessner A, Peterhoff D, Schmidt B. Targeted escape of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro from monoclonal antibody S309, the precursor of sotrovimab. Front Immunol 2022; 13:966236. [PMID: 36090991 PMCID: PMC9449809 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.966236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Class 1 and 2 monoclonal antibodies inhibit SARS-CoV-2 entry by blocking the interaction of the viral receptor-binding domain with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), while class 3 antibodies target a highly conserved epitope outside the ACE2 binding site. We aimed to investigate the plasticity of the spike protein by propagating wild-type SARS-CoV-2 in the presence of class 3 antibody S309. After 12 weeks, we obtained a viral strain that was completely resistant to inhibition by S309, due to successively evolving amino acid exchanges R346S and P337L located in the paratope of S309. The antibody lost affinity to receptor-binding domains carrying P337L or both amino acid exchanges, while ACE2 binding was not affected. The resistant strain replicated efficiently in human CaCo-2 cells and was more susceptible to inhibition of fusion than the original strain. Overall, SARS-CoV-2 escaped inhibition by class 3 antibody S309 through a slow, but targeted evolution enabling immune escape and altering cell entry. This immune-driven enhancement of infectivity and pathogenicity could play an important role in the future evolution of SARS-CoV-2, which is under increasing immunological pressure from vaccination and previous infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Luzia Magnus
- Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Hiergeist
- Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Schuster
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Anette Rohrhofer
- Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jan Medenbach
- Biochemistry I, Faculty of Biology and Pre-Clinical Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - André Gessner
- Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - David Peterhoff
- Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Schmidt
- Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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Viral Dynamic Surveillance in COVID-19 Patients: A Cohort Study. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:1399268. [PMID: 36033569 PMCID: PMC9417765 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1399268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Background. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a potentially fatal pneumonia caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), especially those of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants and infection has affected over 700 million people globally. Methods. This retrospective, descriptive study included 118 patients admitted with SARS-CoV-2 infection as confirmed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results. The median duration of detectable SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with high ALT, AST, and PLT/LYMPH, or low CD4+, CD8+, and PLT/MONO was considerably longer. In the risk factor model, multivariate analysis was performed for the estimation of ALT (HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.36-0.81), AST (HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.34-0.93), CD4+ (HR,0.77; 95% CI, 0.48-1.24), CD8+ (HR,0.64; 95% CI, 0.37-1.11), PLT/LYMPH (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.76-1.77), and PLT/MONO (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.43-0.94). Conclusions. The longer viral RNA duration was associated with a higher International Prognostic Index score (
), demonstrating for the first time that multivariate features of the bioindicators closely associated with SARS-CoV-2-infected patients clear the virus.
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