title: Genetic variability among group A and B respiratory syncytial viruses in Mozambique: identification of a new cluster of group B isolates.
abstract: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the major cause of acute lower respiratory tract infection in children and vulnerable adults, but little is known regarding RSV infection in Africa. In this report, a recent RSV outbreak in Mozambique was studied and results showed that 275 of 3192 (8.6%) nasopharyngeal aspirates tested were RSV-positive by ELISA. RSV presents two antigenic groups (A and B) with a high genetic and antigenic variability between and within them. Analysis by a new RFLP assay of RT-PCR amplified N protein gene products showed a higher prevalence of group B RSV than that of group A (85% versus 15%). However, genetic variability of the G protein gene was higher among group A RSV strains. The frequency and pattern of glycosylation sites were also quite different between both groups. In addition, two different phylogenetic clusters of Mozambican viruses were found within each group, but only sequences from cluster B-I were relatively distinct from previously described isolates. The implications of such differences in the antigenic and immunogenic characteristics of each group are discussed.
authors: Centro de Investigaçao en Saude da Manhiça, INS-Ministerio da Saude, Mozambique3.|Epidemiología y Bioestadística1 and Hepatología-IMD2, Fundació Clínic, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Universidad de Barcelona, Villaroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Roca
authors: Centro de Investigaçao en Saude da Manhiça, INS-Ministerio da Saude, Mozambique3.|Epidemiología y Bioestadística1 and Hepatología-IMD2, Fundació Clínic, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Universidad de Barcelona, Villaroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Mari-Paz
authors: MP
authors: Loscertales
authors: Epidemiología y Bioestadística1 and Hepatología-IMD2, Fundació Clínic, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Universidad de Barcelona, Villaroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Llorenç
authors: L
authors: Quintó
authors: Servicio de Virología, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain4.
authors: Pilar
authors: P
authors: Pérez-Breña
authors: Centro de Investigaçao en Saude da Manhiça, INS-Ministerio da Saude, Mozambique3.
authors: Neide
authors: N
authors: Vaz
authors: Centro de Investigaçao en Saude da Manhiça, INS-Ministerio da Saude, Mozambique3.|Epidemiología y Bioestadística1 and Hepatología-IMD2, Fundació Clínic, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Universidad de Barcelona, Villaroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Pedro-Luis
authors: PL
authors: Alonso
authors: Epidemiología y Bioestadística1 and Hepatología-IMD2, Fundació Clínic, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Universidad de Barcelona, Villaroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Juan-Carlos
authors: JC
authors: Saiz
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009073:Mozambique / Q000453:epidemiology; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins