title: Identification of group B respiratory syncytial viruses that lack the 60-nucleotide duplication after six consecutive epidemics of total BA dominance at coastal Kenya.
abstract: Respiratory syncytial virus BA genotype has reportedly replaced other group B genotypes worldwide. We report the observation of three group B viruses, all identical in G sequence but lacking the BA duplication, at a coastal district hospital in Kenya in early 2012. This follows a period of six consecutive respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemics with 100% BA dominance among group B isolates. The new strains appear only distantly related to BA variants and to previously circulating SAB1 viruses last seen in the district in 2005, suggesting that they were circulating elsewhere undetected. These results are of relevance to an understanding of RSV persistence.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Geographic Medicine Research - Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Charles N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Agoti
authors.forename: Caroline W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Gitahi
authors.forename: Graham F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Medley
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Cane
authors.forename: D James
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Nokes
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002675:Child, Preschool; D058872:Epidemics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Attachment (G gene); BA genotype; genetic diversity; respiratory syncytial virus