title: Genetic variants of human parvovirus B19 in South Africa: cocirculation of three genotypes and identification of a novel subtype of genotype 1.
abstract: Parvovirus B19 comprises three distinct genotypes (1, 2, and 3). The distribution of B19 genotypes has not before been examined in South Africa. Two hundred thirty-nine laboratory samples submitted to a diagnostic virology laboratory for parvovirus DNA detection were analyzed retrospectively. Of the 53 PCR-positive samples investigated, 40 (75.4%) were identified as genotype 1 by genotype-specific PCR or consensus NS1 PCR and sequencing and 3 (5.7%) as genotype 2 and 10 (18.9%) as genotype 3 by analysis of NS1 sequences. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis identified two genotype 1 sequences which were distinct from the previously described genotypes 1A and 1B. Interestingly, a genotype 2 virus was detected in the serum of an 11-year-old child, providing evidence for its recent circulation. This is the first study to demonstrate the concurrent circulation of all three genotypes of B19 in South Africa and the provisional identification of a novel subtype of genotype 1. The implications of parvovirus B19 variation are discussed.
authors.affiliation: National Health Laboratory Service and Division of Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. corcoran.craig@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Corcoran
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hardie
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yeats
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Smuts
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral