First evidence of enterovirus A71 and echovirus 30 in Uruguay and genetic relationship with strains circulating in the South American region

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 12;16(8):e0255846. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255846. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Human enteroviruses (EVs) comprise more than 100 types of coxsackievirus, echovirus, poliovirus and numbered enteroviruses, which are mainly transmitted by the faecal-oral route leading to diverse diseases such as aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, and acute flaccid paralysis, among others. Since enteroviruses are excreted in faeces, wastewater-based epidemiology approaches are useful to describe EV diversity in a community. In Uruguay, knowledge about enteroviruses is extremely limited. This study assessed the diversity of enteroviruses through Illumina next-generation sequencing of VP1-amplicons obtained by RT-PCR directly applied to viral concentrates of 84 wastewater samples collected in Uruguay during 2011-2012 and 2017-2018. Fifty out of the 84 samples were positive for enteroviruses. There were detected 27 different types belonging to Enterovirus A species (CVA2-A6, A10, A16, EV-A71, A90), Enterovirus B species (CVA9, B1-B5, E1, E6, E11, E14, E21, E30) and Enterovirus C species (CVA1, A13, A19, A22, A24, EV-C99). Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) and echovirus 30 (E30) strains were studied more in depth through phylogenetic analysis, together with some strains previously detected by us in Argentina. Results unveiled that EV-A71 sub-genogroup C2 circulates in both countries at least since 2011-2012, and that the C1-like emerging variant recently entered in Argentina. We also confirmed the circulation of echovirus 30 genotypes E and F in Argentina, and reported the detection of genotype E in Uruguay. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of the EV-A71 C1-like emerging variant in South-America, and the first report of EV-A71 and E30 in Uruguay.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Capsid Proteins / genetics
  • Capsid Proteins / metabolism
  • Enterovirus A, Human / classification
  • Enterovirus A, Human / genetics*
  • Enterovirus A, Human / isolation & purification
  • Enterovirus B, Human / classification
  • Enterovirus B, Human / genetics*
  • Enterovirus B, Human / isolation & purification
  • Enterovirus C, Human / classification
  • Enterovirus C, Human / genetics
  • Enterovirus C, Human / isolation & purification
  • Genetic Linkage / genetics*
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Phylogeny
  • RNA, Viral / chemistry
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • RNA, Viral / metabolism
  • Seasons
  • South America
  • Uruguay
  • Wastewater / virology

Substances

  • Capsid Proteins
  • RNA, Viral
  • Waste Water

Associated data

  • figshare/10.6084/m9.figshare.14331215.v2
  • figshare/10.6084/m9.figshare.14854437.v1

Grants and funding

This study was funded by Programa Polos de Desarrollo Universitario from Comisión Coordinadora del Interior of the Universidad de la República, Uruguay, grant PDU2010. Authors received financial support from Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (SNI) of Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación (ANII), Uruguay, and from Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina. A.L. received a PhD scholarship in 2016–2019 from Comisión Académica de Posgrado (CAP) and Programa de Desarrollo de las Ciencias Básicas (PEDECIBA) of Universidad de la República, Uruguay. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.