TY - JOUR
T1 - Human metapneumovirus prevalence during 2019-2021 in Israel is influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Stein, Michal
AU - Cohen, Hodaya
AU - Nemet, Ital
AU - Atari, Nofar
AU - Kliker, Limor
AU - Fratty, Ilana S.
AU - Bucris, Efrat
AU - Geva, Miranda
AU - Mendelson, Ella
AU - Zuckerman, Neta
AU - Mandelboim, Michal
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors
PY - 2022/7
Y1 - 2022/7
N2 - Objectives: To compare infection rates and circulating subtypes of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) before (2019-2020) and after the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (2021) in Israel. Methods: In total, 12,718 respiratory samples were collected from hospitalized patients of all ages during the years 2019 to 2021 at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel and subjected to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis. In addition, whole-genome sequencing was performed to characterize the subtypes of hMPV circulating in Israel between 2019 and 2021. Results: A total of 481 samples were found positive for hMPV. Before the emergence of COVID-19, hMPV peaked in winter months and declined thereafter. In sharp contrast, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed a delayed peak in hMPV infection cases and higher infection of young children. Viral sequencing showed a shift in the most prevalent circulating hMPV strain from A2b to B1 during the years 2019, 2020, and 2021. Conclusion: Compared with the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2021, hMPV mostly affected young children, and the most prevalent circulating subtype shifted from A2b in 2019 to B1.
AB - Objectives: To compare infection rates and circulating subtypes of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) before (2019-2020) and after the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (2021) in Israel. Methods: In total, 12,718 respiratory samples were collected from hospitalized patients of all ages during the years 2019 to 2021 at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel and subjected to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis. In addition, whole-genome sequencing was performed to characterize the subtypes of hMPV circulating in Israel between 2019 and 2021. Results: A total of 481 samples were found positive for hMPV. Before the emergence of COVID-19, hMPV peaked in winter months and declined thereafter. In sharp contrast, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed a delayed peak in hMPV infection cases and higher infection of young children. Viral sequencing showed a shift in the most prevalent circulating hMPV strain from A2b to B1 during the years 2019, 2020, and 2021. Conclusion: Compared with the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2021, hMPV mostly affected young children, and the most prevalent circulating subtype shifted from A2b in 2019 to B1.
KW - Phylogeny
KW - Pneumoviridae
KW - Respiratory system
KW - Viruses
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85130289373&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.04.037
DO - 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.04.037
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C2 - 35472530
AN - SCOPUS:85130289373
SN - 1201-9712
VL - 120
SP - 205
EP - 209
JO - International Journal of Infectious Diseases
JF - International Journal of Infectious Diseases
ER -