Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of respiratory tract infections in children and immunocompromised individuals. A multi-center surveillance of the epidemiologic and molecular characteristics of RSV circulating in Lebanon was performed. The attachment (G) and fusion (F) glycoproteins were analyzed and compared to those reported regionally and globally. 16% (83/519) of the nasopharyngeal swabs collected during the 2016/17 season tested positive for RSV; 50% (27/54) were RSV-A and 50% (27/54) were RSV-B. Phylogenetic analysis of the G glycoprotein revealed predominance of the RSVA ON1 genotype, in addition to two novel Lebanese genotype variants, hereby named LBA1 and LBA2, which descended from the ON1 and NA2 RSV-A genotypes, respectively. RSV-B strains belonged to BA9 genotype except for one BA10. Deduced amino acid sequences depicted several unique substitutions, alteration of glycosylation patterns and the emergence of palivizumab resistance among the Lebanese viruses. The emergence of ON1 and other novel genotypes that are resistant to palivizumab highlights the importance of monitoring RSV globally.
Highlights
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in infants, young children and immunocompromised patients [1]
Novel RSV genotypes and palivizumab resistance funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
A written informed consent was secured from the research subjects themselves or their legal guardians if below 18 years of age before nasopharyngeal swabs (NPs) were collected
Summary
A multi-center surveillance study was conducted during the 2016/17 season (October to May). The sites included major referral hospitals and distributed across two major governorates (two each in Mount Lebanon and the Capital of Beirut) in Lebanon in which nearly 40% of the population resides. Members of the research team approached individuals who presented as outor in-patients with fever (defined as >37.8 ̊C) and cough with onset within the past 10 days. A written informed consent was secured from the research subjects themselves or their legal guardians if below 18 years of age before nasopharyngeal swabs (NPs) were collected. NPs were stored at 4 ̊C for a maximum of 48 hours. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the American University of Beirut
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