Molecular epidemiology of SARS-associated coronavirus, Beijing.
Single nucleotide variations (SNVs) at 5 loci (17564, 21721, 22222, 23823, and 27827) were used to define the molecular epidemiologic characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) from Beijing patients. Five fragments targeted at the SNV loci were amplified directly from clinical samples by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), before sequencing the amplified products. Analyses of 45 sequences obtained from 29 patients showed that the GGCTC motif dominated among samples collected from March to early April 2003; the TGTTT motif predominanted afterwards. The switch from GGCTC to TGTTT was observed among patients belonging to the same cluster, which ruled out the possibility of the coincidental superposition of 2 epidemics running in parallel in Beijing. The Beijing isolates underwent the same change pattern reported from Guangdong Province. The same series of mutations occurring in separate geographic locations and at different times suggests a dominant process of viral adaptation to the host.
Liu
Wei
W
Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Tang
Fang
F
Fontanet
Arnaud
A
Zhan
Lin
L
Wang
Tian-Bao
TB
Zhang
Pan-He
PH
Luan
Yi-He
YH
Cao
Chao-Yang
CY
Zhao
Qiu-Min
QM
Wu
Xiao-Ming
XM
Xin
Zhong-Tao
ZT
Zuo
Shu-Qing
SQ
Baril
Laurence
L
Vabret
Astrid
A
Shao
Yi-Ming
YM
Yang
Hong
H
Cao
Wu-Chun
WC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*