Phylogeography of Rotavirus G8P[8] Detected in Argentina: Evidence of Transpacific Dissemination

DEGIUSEPPE, JI; TORRES, C; MBAYED, V; STUPKA, JA

Viruses

MDPI

Año: 2022 vol. 14

1999-4915

Rotavirus is one of the leading causes of diarrhea in children. In 2018, G8P[8], an unusualassociation of genotypes, was detected with moderate frequency in symptomatic children in Argentina,unlike a previous sporadic identification in 2016. The aim of this study was to analyze thedissemination pattern of the G8P[8]-lineage IV strains detected in Argentina. Nucleotide sequencesof the VP7 gene of Argentine G8P[8] strains (2016, 2018 and 2019) were studied by discrete phylodynamicanalyses, together with other worldwide relevant G8-lineage IV strains. Bayes Factor (BF)was used to assess the strength of the epidemiological association between countries. Phylodynamicanalyses determined an evolutionary rate of 3.7 x 10-3 (HDP95%: 1.4 x 10-3–8.2 x 10-3) substitutions/site/year. Likewise, the most recent common ancestor was 32.2 years old, dating back to 1986(HDP95% = 1984–1988). The spatiotemporal dynamics analysis revealed South Korea as being thecountry of origin of the Argentine strains (posterior probability of the ancestral state: 0.8471), whichwas also evidenced by a significant rate of diffusion from South Korea to Argentina (BF: 55.1). Thedetection of G8 in South America in 2016–2017 was not related to the cases detected in 2018–2019,revealing a new G8 introduction to the region and supporting a transpacific dissemination.