Characteristics of Respiratory Syncytial Virus isolated from Acute Respiratory Infectious Disease in Busan

ABSTRACT

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is known as the leading cause of respiratory tract illness in infancy and elderly children worldwide. We investigate the prevalence pattern and genetic characteristics in the second variable region G protein gene of HRSV during 5 consecutive seasons from 2010 to 2015. A total of 4,793 specimens (throat swabs) were collected from patients with acute respiratory tract. HRSV were evaluated and classified as HRSV A (n=111) or HRSV B (n=64) by real-time RT-PCR or RT-PCR. In general HRSV were detected in winter season. Coughing, fever, rhinorrhea and sputum were confirmed main symptoms in patients with HRSV. There were no significant differences in clinical characteristics or severity according to the HRSV subgroup infections. Out of 175 HRSV positive samples, 94 samples were successfully sequenced using G gene. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 62 HRSV-A strains clustered into genotypes ON1 (n=54, 87.1%), NA1 (n=7), NA2 (n=1) and 32 HRSV-B strains clustered into three genotypes BA4 (n=28, 87.5%), BA5 (n=2), BA6 (n=2). These results provide a better understanding of HRSV prevalence pattern and genetic characteristics.