Epidemiology and molecular characterization of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Buenos Aires 2015-2016

RUSSO MARA; BENEDETTI ESTEFANIA; AVARO MARTIN; CZECH ANDREA; PERIOLO NATALIA,; CAMPOS ANA; MACHICADO MACIAS ERIKA; PONTORIERO A; BAUMEISTER, E

Bariloche

Congreso; 10th International Respiratory Syncytial Virus Symposium; 2016

Background: In Argentina, as worldwide, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a very common etiologic agent of acute respiratory infections in young children. The National Reference Laboratory of Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses (NRLIRV) is the Head of the National Influenza Laboratories and Other Respiratory Viruses Network (Network). This National Network will be the base for the establishment of the National RSV Surveillance. The National Influenza virus Surveillance will provide the platform for the creation of the National RSV Surveillance prior the introduction of a short-term RSV vaccine.Methods: The NRLIRV received positive RSV samples of hospitalized children under 5 years old, with acute lower respiratory infection during the acute phase of the illness. The National Pediatric Juan P. Garrahan Hospital, one of the Network members, sent to NRLIRV 107 and 64 samples in 2015 and 2016 respectively, in order to perform viral isolation in HEP-2 cells, typing by RTn-PCR and genotyping by G gene sequencing.Results: The 87% (68/78) and 7.7% (6/78) of the 2015 samples belonged to the genetics groups B and A respectively. The Group B strains sequenced were closely related to the genetic group BA with the 60-nt duplication. In 2016, 49.09% (27/55) of the samples belonged to group A and 50.9% (28/55) to group B. One RSV strain could be recovered in tissue culture in 2015.Interpretation: We detected the B group as the predominant in 2015 and the sequenced strains clustered in BA genotype, the predominant B genotype worldwide; during 2016 both groups were detected in similar proportions.