A novel interspecies recombinant enterovirus (Enterovirus A120) isolated from a case of acute flaccid paralysis in China

Emerg Microbes Infect. 2020 Dec;9(1):1733-1743. doi: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1796527.

Abstract

EV-A120 is a recently identified serotype of the enterovirus A species. Only one full-length genomic sequence is currently available in GenBank, and very few studies have been conducted on EV-A120 globally. Thus, additional information and research on EV-A120 are needed to explore its genetic characteristics, phylogeny, and relationship with enteroviral disease. In this study, we report the phylogenetic characteristics of a EV-A120 strain (Q0082/XZ/CHN/2000) from Tibet, China. The amino acid sequence similarity and nucleotide sequence similarity of the full-length genomic sequence of this EV-A120 strain and the EV-A120 prototype strain were 96.3% and 79.9%, respectively, showing an evolutionary trend. Recombination analysis found intraspecies recombination in the 5' -UTR, 2B, 2C, and 3D regions. Serum neutralization testing of the EV-A120 (Q0082) strain was also carried out. Low serum-positive rates and geometric mean titres (GMTs) indicated that the extent of EV-A120 transmission and exposure in the population was very limited compared with that in the outbreaks of EV-A71 and CV-A16 in China since 2008. The EV-A120 strain (Q0082) is non-temperature sensitive, indicating its potential to spread in the population. In summary, this study reports the full-length genomic sequence of EV-A120 and provides important information for its global molecular epidemiology.

Keywords: EV-A120; genomic characterization; phylogenetic analysis; recombinant analysis; seroepidemiology; temperature sensitivity.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / blood
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Central Nervous System Viral Diseases / pathology
  • Central Nervous System Viral Diseases / virology*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Enterovirus A, Human / genetics
  • Enterovirus A, Human / immunology
  • Enterovirus A, Human / isolation & purification*
  • Enterovirus Infections / diagnosis*
  • Genome, Viral / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Molecular Typing
  • Myelitis / pathology
  • Myelitis / virology*
  • Neuromuscular Diseases / pathology
  • Neuromuscular Diseases / virology*
  • RNA, Viral
  • Sequence Analysis, RNA
  • Tibet

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • RNA, Viral

Supplementary concepts

  • acute flaccid myelitis

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project of China (Project Nos. 2017ZX10104001, 2018ZX10711001, 2018ZX10713002, and 2018ZX10305409-004-002). The funding body was not involved in the design of the study, clinical sample collection, data analysis and interpretation, or writing of the manuscript.