Distribution of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) wild-type genotypes in northern and southern Europe: evidence for high conservation of circulating genotypes.
Phylogenetic analysis of 19 complete VZV genomic sequences resolves wild-type strains into 5 genotypes (E1, E2, J, M1, and M2). Complete sequences for M3 and M4 strains are unavailable, but targeted analyses of representative strains suggest they are stable, circulating VZV genotypes. Sequence analysis of VZV isolates identified both shared and specific markers for every genotype and validated a unified VZV genotyping strategy. Despite high genotype diversity no evidence for intra-genotypic recombination was observed. Five of seven VZV genotypes were reliably discriminated using only four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) present in ORF22, and the E1 and E2 genotypes were resolved using SNP located in ORF21, ORF22 or ORF50. Sequence analysis of 342 clinical varicella and zoster specimens from 18 European countries identified the following distribution of VZV genotypes: E1, 221 (65%); E2, 87 (25%); M1, 20 (6%); M2, 3 (1%); M4, 11 (3%). No M3 or J strains were observed.
Loparev
Vladimir N
VN
National VZV Laboratory, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases, National Center for Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Rubtcova
Elena N
EN
Bostik
Vanda
V
Tzaneva
Valentina
V
Sauerbrei
Andreas
A
Robo
Alma
A
Sattler-Dornbacher
Eva
E
Hanovcova
Iva
I
Stepanova
Vera
V
Splino
Miroslav
M
Eremin
Vladimir
V
Koskiniemi
Marjaleena
M
Vankova
Olga E
OE
Schmid
D Scott
DS
D002644:Chickenpox / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005838:Genotype; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology