title: Molecular epidemiology of human enterovirus 71 in the United Kingdom from 1998 to 2006.
abstract: The last decade witnessed a significant increase in epidemic activity of human enterovirus 71 (EV71) in the Western Pacific Region (WPR). In most European countries, this risk is unrecognized despite occasional cases of severe disease and two severe outbreaks in Eastern Europe 30 years ago. In this study we report the first examination of the molecular epidemiology of EV71 in the United Kingdom from 1998 to 2006. Genomic regions encoding the 1D coat protein (VP1) and 3D polymerase (Pol) from 32 EV71 isolates associated with neurological or cutaneous manifestations were sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses of VP1 and 3D Pol sequences identified genotype C as the dominant strain. Several United Kingdom isolates had genetic linkages with predated C1 or C2 strains from Europe and the WPR. Recombination events were not detected between United Kingdom strains. However, a previously published Taiwanese strain was identified as an intergenotypic recombinant. EV71 genotype C appears to have continuous circulation in the United Kingdom from 1998 to 2006 with repeated introductions of new strains replacing previous strains. It is necessary to continuously monitor the molecular evolution and recombination events of EV71.
authors.affiliation: Infection and Immunology Unit, Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, 5th Floor, North Wing, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jon M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bible
authors.forename: Miren
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iturriza-Gomara
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Megson
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pantelidis
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Earl
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bendig
authors.forename: C Y William
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Tong
mesh_terms: D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D029821:Enterovirus A, Human / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D015751:Genes, pol; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral