title: Molecular epidemiology and molecular characterization of respiratory syncytial viruses at a tertiary care university hospital in Catalonia (Spain) during the 2013-2014 season.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is the main cause of lower respiratory tract infections among infants and young children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The molecular epidemiology and characterization of HRSV strains detected at a Spanish tertiary hospital during the 2013-2014 season is reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  Phylogenetic analysis and molecular characterization of HRSV laboratory-confirmed respiratory samples were performed, based on coding sequences of G and F proteins.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HRSV infection was laboratory-confirmed in respiratory samples from 320 patients of which 223 (70%) were less than 2 years of age and none undergoing Palivizumab treatment. HRSV was detected at varying levels throughout the season with a maximum rate in the week 52/2013, right before the beginning of the influenza epidemic. Whilst both HRSV groups were found co-circulating, HRSV-B group clearly predominated. The phylogenetic analyses from 139 HVR-2 sequences revealed that most characterized strains belonged to ON1 and BA9 genotypes. Three different phylogenetic subgroups could be distinguished within these genotypes. In addition, three strains (out of the 52 randomly selected) were carrying amino acid substitutions in the epitope A of the F protein, one of them previously related to Palivizumab resistance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study highlight the importance of a continuous HRSV surveillance to monitor not only the introduction of new genotypes on circulation but also the emergence of viral variants with new genetic characteristics that can affect the antigenicity features and the susceptibility to the only current prophylaxis treatment and also for the future development of HRSV vaccines.
authors: Virology Unit, Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Gimferrer
authors: Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Magda
authors: M
authors: Campins
authors: Virology Unit, Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: María Gema
authors: MG
authors: Codina
authors: Virology Unit, Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: María Del Carmen
authors: Mdel C
authors: Martín
authors: Virology Unit, Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Francisco
authors: F
authors: Fuentes
authors: Virology Unit, Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Juliana
authors: J
authors: Esperalba
authors: Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Andreu
authors: A
authors: Bruguera
authors: Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Luz María
authors: LM
authors: Vilca
authors: Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Lluís
authors: L
authors: Armadans
authors: Virology Unit, Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Tomàs
authors: T
authors: Pumarola
authors: Virology Unit, Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: aanton@vhebron.net.
authors: Andrés
authors: A
authors: Antón
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D018113:Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D063128:Tertiary Health Care; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C526850:F protein, human respiratory syncytial virus; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins; C116204:attachment protein G
keywords: Epidemiology; Genotypes; HRSV; Molecular; Palivizumab; Respiratory syncytial virus; Surveillance