Displacement of predominant respiratory syncytial virus genotypes in Malaysia between 1989 and 2011

• Published in: Infection, genetics and evolution Vol. 14; pp. 357 - 360
• Main Authors: Khor, Chee-Sieng, Sam, I-Ching, Hooi, Poh-Sim, Chan, Yoke-Fun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.03.2013
• Subjects: classification; epidemiological studies; epidemiology; Evolution, Molecular; genetics; Genotype; history; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Human respiratory syncytial virus; Humans; Malaysia; Malaysia - epidemiology; Molecular epidemiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - history; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human - classification; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human - genetics; viruses; Malaysia; Human respiratory syncytial virus; Molecular epidemiology; Genotype; Malaysia
• ISSN: 1567-1348; 1567-7257; 1567-7257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2012.12.017

• We sequenced over 100 isolates of respiratory syncytial virus from 1989 to 2011. • Respiratory syncytial virus subtype A is more frequently isolated than subtype B. • Local respiratory syncytial virus isolates show temporal clustering with other worldwide isolates. • New respiratory syncytial virus genotypes replace the previous predominant genotypes every few years. • We report the presence of new respiratory syncytial virus genotypes in Malaysia. From 1989 to 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, multiple genotypes from both respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) subgroups were found co-circulating each year. RSV-A subgroup predominated in 12 out of 17years with the remaining years predominated by RSV-B subgroup. Local RSV strains exhibited temporal clustering with RSV strains reported in previous epidemiological studies. Every few years, the existing predominant genotype was replaced by a new genotype. The RSV-A genotypes GA2, GA5 and GA7 were replaced by NA1 and NA2, while BA became the predominant RSV-B genotype. A unique local cluster, BA12, was seen in 2009, and the recently-described ON1 genotype with 72-nt duplication emerged in 2011. Our findings will have important implications for future vaccine intervention.