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Giovanetti M, Fonseca V, Wilkinson E, Tegally H, San EJ, Althaus CL, Xavier J, Nanev Slavov S, Viala VL, Ranieri Jerônimo Lima A, Ribeiro G, Souza-Neto JA, Fukumasu H, Lehmann Coutinho L, Venancio da Cunha R, Freitas C, Campelo de A e Melo CF, Navegantes de Araújo W, Do Carmo Said RF, Almiron M, de Oliveira T, Coccuzzo Sampaio S, Elias MC, Covas DT, Holmes EC, Lourenço J, Kashima S, de Alcantara LCJ. Replacement of the Gamma by the Delta variant in Brazil: Impact of lineage displacement on the ongoing pandemic. Virus Evol 2022; 8:veac024. [PMID: 35371559 PMCID: PMC8971541 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veac024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic in Brazil was driven mainly by the spread of Gamma (P.1), a locally emerged variant of concern (VOC) that was first detected in early January 2021. This variant was estimated to be responsible for more than 96 per cent of cases reported between January and June 2021, being associated with increased transmissibility and disease severity, a reduction in neutralization antibodies and effectiveness of treatments or vaccines, and diagnostic detection failure. Here we show that, following several importations predominantly from the USA, the Delta variant rapidly replaced Gamma after July 2021. However, in contrast to what was seen in other countries, the rapid spread of Delta did not lead to a large increase in the number of cases and deaths reported in Brazil. We suggest that this was likely due to the relatively successful early vaccination campaign coupled with natural immunity acquired following prior infection with Gamma. Our data reinforce reports of the increased transmissibility of the Delta variant and, considering the increasing concern due to the recently identified Omicron variant, argues for the necessity to strengthen genomic monitoring on a national level to quickly detect the emergence and spread of other VOCs that might threaten global health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eduan Wilkinson
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 238 Mazisi Kunene Rd, Glenwood, Durban 4041, South Africa,Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Banhoek Road & Joubert Street, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Houriiyah Tegally
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 238 Mazisi Kunene Rd, Glenwood, Durban 4041, South Africa,Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Banhoek Road & Joubert Street, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Emmanuel James San
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 238 Mazisi Kunene Rd, Glenwood, Durban 4041, South Africa,Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Banhoek Road & Joubert Street, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Christian L Althaus
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Hochschulstrasse 6, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Joilson Xavier
- Laboratorio de Genética Celular e Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627 - Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 31270-901, Brazil,Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Estado de Minas Gerais, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro, 80 Gameleira, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 30510-010, Brazil
| | - Svetoslav Nanev Slavov
- Ribeirão Preto Medical School, Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, R. Quintino Bocaiuva, nº 470 - Centro, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14015-160, Brazil
| | - Vincent Louis Viala
- Butantan Institute, Avenida Doutor Vital Brasil, 1500 - Butantã, Sao Paulo - SP, Brazil
| | | | - Gabriela Ribeiro
- Butantan Institute, Avenida Doutor Vital Brasil, 1500 - Butantã, Sao Paulo - SP, Brazil
| | - Jayme A Souza-Neto
- School of Agricultural Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), R. Quintino Bocaiuva, nº 470, Botucatu 05508-900, Brazil
| | | | - Luiz Lehmann Coutinho
- Centro de Genômica Funcional da ESALQ, University of São Paulo, R. Quintino Bocaiuva, nº 470, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Rivaldo Venancio da Cunha
- Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Av. Brasil, 4365, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil
| | - Carla Freitas
- Coordenacão Geral dos Laboratórios de Saúde Publica/Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Ministério da Saúde (CGLAB/SVS-MS), Esplanada dos Ministérios - Bloco G - Edifício Sede - CEP, Brasília, Distrito Federal 70058-900, Brazil
| | - Carlos F Campelo de A e Melo
- Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde/Organização Mundial da Saúde, Lote 19 - Avenida das Nações, SEN - Asa Norte, Brasília, Distrito Federal 70312-970, Brazil
| | - Wildo Navegantes de Araújo
- Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde/Organização Mundial da Saúde, Lote 19 - Avenida das Nações, SEN - Asa Norte, Brasília, Distrito Federal 70312-970, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Fabiano Do Carmo Said
- Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde/Organização Mundial da Saúde, Lote 19 - Avenida das Nações, SEN - Asa Norte, Brasília, Distrito Federal 70312-970, Brazil
| | - Maria Almiron
- Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde/Organização Mundial da Saúde, Lote 19 - Avenida das Nações, SEN - Asa Norte, Brasília, Distrito Federal 70312-970, Brazil
| | | | | | - Maria Carolina Elias
- Department of Zoology, Peter Medawar Building, University of Oxford, 1a Mansfield Rd, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Dimas Tadeu Covas
- Ribeirão Preto Medical School, Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, R. Quintino Bocaiuva, nº 470 - Centro, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14015-160, Brazil,Butantan Institute, Avenida Doutor Vital Brasil, 1500 - Butantã, Sao Paulo - SP, Brazil
| | | | - José Lourenço
- Department of Zoology, Peter Medawar Building, University of Oxford, 1a Mansfield Rd, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK,Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Simone Kashima
- Ribeirão Preto Medical School, Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, R. Quintino Bocaiuva, nº 470 - Centro, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14015-160, Brazil
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