Emergence of divergent enterovirus (EV) D68 sub-clade D1 strains, northern Italy, September to October 2018

Euro Surveill. 2019 Feb;24(7):1900090. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2018.24.7.1900090.

Abstract

Between September and October 2018, an enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) outbreak occurred in patients hospitalised with severe acute respiratory infection in northern Italy; 21 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 16/20 of the EV-D68 sequences belonged to a divergent group within the sub-clade D1. Since its upsurge, EV-D68 has undergone rapid evolution with the emergence of new viral variants, emphasising the need for molecular surveillance that include outpatients with respiratory illness.

Keywords: EV-D68; enterovirus D68, respiratory infection, phylogenetic analysis, molecular surveillance.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Capsid Proteins / genetics
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Enterovirus D, Human / classification
  • Enterovirus D, Human / genetics*
  • Enterovirus D, Human / isolation & purification*
  • Enterovirus Infections / diagnosis*
  • Enterovirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Enterovirus Infections / virology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / epidemiology
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / virology*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Capsid Proteins