1. The emergence, impact, and evolution of human metapneumovirus variants from 2014 to 2021 in Spain.
- Author
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Piñana, Maria, González-Sánchez, Alejandra, Andrés, Cristina, Abanto, Michel, Vila, Jorgina, Esperalba, Juliana, Moral, Noelia, Espartosa, Elena, Saubi, Narcís, Creus, Anna, Codina, Maria Gema, Folgueira, Dolores, Martinez-Urtaza, Jaime, Pumarola, Tomàs, and Antón, Andrés
- Abstract
Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is an important aetiologic agent of respiratory tract infection (RTI). This study aimed to describe the prevalence, genetic diversity, and evolutionary dynamics of HMPV. Laboratory-confirmed HMPV were characterised based on partial-coding G gene sequences with MEGA.v6.0. WGS was performed with Illumina, and evolutionary analyses with Datamonkey and Nextstrain. HMPV prevalence was 2.5%, peaking in February-April and with an alternation in the predominance of HMPV-A and –B until the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, not circulating until summer and autumn-winter 2021, with a higher prevalence and with the almost only circulation of A2c 111dup. G and SH proteins were the most variable, and 70% of F protein was under negative selection. Mutation rate of HMPV genome was 6.95 × 10
-4 substitutions/site/year. HMPV showed a significant morbidity until the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2020, not circulating again until summer and autumn 2021, with a higher prevalence and with almost the only circulation of A2c 111dup , probably due to a more efficient immune evasion mechanism. The F protein showed a very conserved nature, supporting the need for steric shielding. The tMRCA showed a recent emergence of the A2c variants carrying duplications, supporting the importance of virological surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2023
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