A phylogeographic investigation of African monkeypox.
Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by a virus member of the genus Orthopoxvirus and is endemic to Central and Western African countries. Previous work has identified two geographically disjuct clades of monkeypox virus based on the analysis of a few genomes coupled with epidemiological and clinical analyses; however, environmental and geographic causes of this differentiation have not been explored. Here, we expand previous phylogenetic studies by analyzing a larger set of monkeypox virus genomes originating throughout Sub-Saharan Africa to identify possible biogeographic barriers associated with genetic differentiation; and projected ecological niche models onto environmental conditions at three periods in the past to explore the potential role of climate oscillations in the evolution of the two primary clades. Analyses supported the separation of the Congo Basin and West Africa clades; the Congo Basin clade shows much shorter branches, which likely indicate a more recent diversification of isolates within this clade. The area between the Sanaga and Cross Rivers divides the two clades and the Dahomey Gap seems to have also served as a barrier within the West African clade. Contraction of areas with suitable environments for monkeypox virus during the Last Glacial Maximum, suggests that the Congo Basin clade of monkeypox virus experienced a severe bottleneck and has since expanded its geographic range.
Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. ynakazawa@cdc.gov.
Yoshinori
Y
Nakazawa
Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. mmauldin@cdc.gov.|Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) CDC Fellowship Program, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA. mmauldin@cdc.gov.
Matthew R
MR
Mauldin
Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. gemerson@cdc.gov.
Ginny L
GL
Emerson
Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. mreynolds3@cdc.gov.
Mary G
MG
Reynolds
Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. rlash@cdc.gov.
R Ryan
RR
Lash
Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. jgao2@cdc.gov.
Jinxin
J
Gao
Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. hzhao1@cdc.gov.
Hui
H
Zhao
Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. yuli@cdc.gov.
Yu
Y
Li
INRB Laboratory, Avenue de la Démocratie. Kinshasa-Gombe B.P. 1197 Kinshasa 1, Democratic Republic of the Congo. muyembejj@gmail.com.
Jean-Jacques
JJ
Muyembe
INRB Laboratory, Avenue de la Démocratie. Kinshasa-Gombe B.P. 1197 Kinshasa 1, Democratic Republic of the Congo. mbalaplacide@gmail.com.
Placide Mbala
PM
Kingebeni
Kinshasa School of Public Health, University of Kinshasa, 11850 Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. okitow@yahoo.fr.
Okito
O
Wemakoy
Biology Department, University of Kinshasa, P.O. Box 218 Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the Congo. jean.malekani@unikin.ac.cd.
Jean
J
Malekani
Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. kkarem@cdc.gov.
Kevin L
KL
Karem
Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. idamon@cdc.gov.
Inger K
IK
Damon
Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. dcarroll@cdc.gov.
Darin S
DS
Carroll
D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D017753:Ecosystem; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D045908:Mpox, Monkeypox / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D008993:Monkeypox virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D058974:Phylogeography; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology
D004279:DNA, Viral