Pathogen surveillance and genetic characteristics of coxsackievirus A6 and A16 in children with hand, foot and mouth disease in Wenshan Prefecture of Yunnan Province, 2020 / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To analyze the etiological characteristics of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases and to investigate the genetic characteristics of VP1 region of coxsackievirus A6 (CVA6) and CVA16 strains in Wenshan prefecture of Yunnan Province in 2020.Methods:Virus RNA was extracted directly from stool samples of children with HFMD in Wenshan prefecture of Yunnan Province in 2020. Enterovirus (EV) VP4/VP2 junction region was amplified using MD91/OL68-1 primers and sequenced, and then the serotypes of EV isolates were preliminarily identified. Amplification and sequencing of the complete VP1 gene were performed. A phylogenetic tree was constructed by MEGA 5.2 software with the reference strains from GenBank. Genetic and molecular epidemiological characteristics of CVA6 and CVA16 were analyzed.Results:Thirty-two strains of EV and one strain of astrovirus MLB1 were detected in 317 specimens with an overall virus detection rate of 10.41% (33/317). Among the 32 EV strains, 31 (96.88%) were enterovirus species A (EVA) and one (3.12%) was EVB. EVC and EVD were not detected. CVA6 was the predominant EV, accounting for 62.50% (20/32), followed by CVA16 (18.75%, 6/32), CVA4 (9.37%, 3/32) and CVA10 (3.12%, 1/32). EVA71 was not detected. The phylogenetic analysis showed 20 CVA6 strains belonged to D3a sub-genotype and could be further divided into three clusters. Six CVA16 strains belonged to B1a sub-genotype, which was one of the predominant genotypes circulating in China, and could be divided into two clusters.Conclusions:The detection rate of pathogens causing HFMD in Wenshan prefecture in 2020 was 10.41% and the most common etiologic agents were CVA6 and CVA16. Based on the genetic analysis of the VP1 gene, the predominant genotype circulating in Wenshan prefecture in 2020 was CVA6 D3a sub-genotype, followed by CVA16 B1a sub-genotype. EVA71 was not detected.