Dados do Trabalho

Título

Complete Genome Analysis of Coxsackievirus A24 Variant (CVA24v) Isolated from Acute Hemorrhagic Conjunctivitis (AHC) in Belém, Pará, Brazil

Introdução

Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) is a contagious ocular disease affecting millions in recent decades. The variant of Coxsackievirus A24 (CVA24v), a member of the Enterovirus C species, is recognized as the main causative agent of AHC, contributing to several outbreaks and pandemics. Although CVA24v has been associated with outbreaks in Brazil, only one complete genome of CVA24 has been deposited in the GenBank database.

Objetivo (s)

The objective of this study, was to analyze the genetic characteristics the full genome of the CVA24 strain, isolated from a case of AHC in Belém, Pará, Brazil in 2020.  

Material e Métodos

The sequence identified in this study was compared to those of other CVA24 strains and enterovirus sequences available in the NCBI database. We used Hiseq Illumina sequencing technology to obtain the complete genome followed by bioinformatics analysis to compare it with reference strains.

Resultados e Conclusão

The strain in this study showed 85.6% and 87.4% nucleotide and amino acid identity compared to the variant CVA24 prototype strain (EH 24/70), respectively. Amino acid analysis revealed 72 mutations in the precursor sequences of the polyproteins, compared to the prototype strain. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Brazilian strain belongs to genotype GIV and clustered with isolates from French Guiana and Mexico from 2017, as well as with sequences isolated during an AHC epidemic in France in April 2024. Our results also suggest recombination events with other types of EV-C in the non-coding region of the genome. These results highlight the importance of continuous genomic surveillance of CVA24v and other enteroviruses to monitor their evolution and pandemic potential. The identification of recombination sites among different EV-species underscores the need for further investigation into recombination events and their impact on enteroviruses virulence and transmissibility.

Palavras Chave

Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis; Coxsackievirus A24; full genome; genetic characteristics