Abstract
Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is the leading viral cause of serious pediatric respiratory disease, and lifelong reinfections are common. Its 2 major subgroups, A and B, exhibit some antigenic variability, enabling HRSV to circulate annually. Globally, research has increased the number of HRSV genomic sequences available. To ensure accurate molecular epidemiology analyses, we propose a uniform nomenclature for HRSV-positive samples and isolates, and HRSV sequences, namely: HRSV/subgroup identifier/geographic identifier/unique sequence identifier/year of sampling. We also propose a template for submitting associated metadata. Universal nomenclature would help researchers retrieve and analyze sequence data to better understand the evolution of this virus.
Highlights
In 2016, Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) was reclassified by the International Committee on Virus Taxonomy (ICTV) into a new family, Pneumoviridae, genus, Orthopneumovirus, and species, Human orthopneumovirus
Because the G open reading frame (ORF) exhibits the greatest degree of genetic variability between isolates, it is most commonly used for studies on the molecular evolution of HRSV
We propose the use using standard names and appropriate annotations for HRSV genes, provide examples to guide the annotation of sequence data during the sequence submission process, and suggest how to submit metadata associated with the source materials of HRSV sequences
Summary
Proposal for Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Nomenclature below the Species Level. Vahid Salimi, Mariana Viegas, Alfonsina Trento, Charles N. Bont); National Center for Biotechnology Information, Bethesda, Maryland, USA (J.R. Brister, E.L. Hatcher); Public Health England, London, UK ICTV’s taxonomic reassignment provides us a timely opportunity to propose a universal naming convention for HRSV strains, sequences, and isolates, including a framework for database submissions that are rich in contextual information and associated metadata. Several large laboratory HRSV surveillance and epidemiology studies are currently in progress These studies include the World Health Organization’s Global Respiratory Syncytial Virus (WHO RSV) Surveillance Project (https://www.who.int/influenza/rsv), which conducts large-scale testing for HRSV and extensive sequencing of HRSV-positive clinical specimens from >20 countries worldwide. Consistent nomenclature would improve the ability of researchers to pool and analyze data and associated information from different sources To fill this need, an international group of researchers, in conjunction with the WHO RSV Global Surveillance Project, proposes a concise nomenclature system for HRSV below the species level. The reference sequences for the 2 subgroups are derived from strains HRSV A2
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