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Genotyping of Respiratory Syncytial Virus among influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory infection cases of children in the Philippines from 2006-2016
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  • Jonjee Morin,
  • Vina Arguelles,
  • Janiza Lianne Foronda,
  • Alvin Tan,
  • Evelina Lagamayo,
  • Clyde Dapat,
  • Socorro Lupisan
Jonjee Morin
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Vina Arguelles
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine
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Janiza Lianne Foronda
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine
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Alvin Tan
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine
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Evelina Lagamayo
University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery
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Clyde Dapat
Tohoku University
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Socorro Lupisan
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine
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Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of severe lower respiratory infection and therefore, a major threat to global health. In the Philippines, RSV is the second most common respiratory viral pathogen next to rhinovirus among children with severe pneumonia. Since 2006, national influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) surveillances have been mainly focused only on influenza viruses. The prevalence and genetic diversity of RSV in the last decades were not completely elucidated. This study determined the epidemiological and molecular characteristics of RSV among (ILI) and (SARI) cases of children in the Philippines. The Philippine National Influenza Centre (PNIC) collected oropharyngeal swab and nasopharyngeal swab samples from patients under the age of five who are presented with ILI and SARI for the period of 2006-2016. These swabs have been examined for RSV subgroup by multiplex real-time qRT-PCR. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses were used to determine the genotype of RSV samples. A total of 1,036 samples were systematically selected and tested. Of these samples, 122 were RSV-positive at 11.8 % prevalence rate, and 58.2% (71/122) were classified as RSV-A. Six genotypes were identified, which included NA1 (27/122, 22.1%), ON1 (5/122, 4.1%), GA2 (1/122, 0.8%) and GA5 (1/123, 0.8%) for RSV-A; and BA2 (13/122, 10.7%) and BA9 (1/122, 0.8%) for RSV-B. Most RSV-related cases were significantly associated with pneumonia and bronchitis. The pattern of RSV activity in the Philippines resembles the transmission of RSV globally.
06 Dec 2021Submitted to Influenza and other respiratory viruses
06 Dec 2021Submission Checks Completed
06 Dec 2021Assigned to Editor
10 Feb 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
11 Mar 20221st Revision Received
15 Mar 2022Submission Checks Completed
15 Mar 2022Assigned to Editor
15 Mar 2022Editorial Decision: Accept