ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Redondoviridae is a newly discovered virus family linked to oral and respiratory conditions in people, while there is still debate about whether it is also coinfected with other respiratory viruses. This study aimed to determine the frequency of Redondovirus (ReDoV) in nasopharyngeal samples and to investigate any possible links to SARS-CoV-2 infections. METHODS: A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was conducted on 731 nasopharyngeal samples from individuals referred to medical centers in Tehran, Iran, for SARS-CoV-2 testing to investigate the prevalence of ReDoV. An oral interview was performed to complete information on dental issues and the individuals' demographics, symptoms, and vaccination history. RESULTS: The prevalence of ReDoV was 25.99%, and 15.26% had a coinfection with SARS-CoV-2. No notable correlation was found regarding ReDoVs and SARS-CoV-2 infections (p > 0.05). Women had a higher ReDoV positivity rate of 18.47% compared to men at 7.52% (p = 0.12), and there was no significant correlation between age groups and ReDoV presence. Nonetheless, a significant association was noted between ReDoVs and dental/gum issues (p < 0.0001, OR: 13.0326). A phylogenetic analysis showed that ReDoVs originated from various human-related clusters. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the potential for detecting ReDoVs in nasopharyngeal samples of people with gum or dental issues. Additionally, conducting more ReDoV epidemiological research and proposing oral health as a possible marker for ReDoV infections is important.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , Female , Male , Cross-Sectional Studies , Adult , Iran/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Adolescent , Young Adult , Prevalence , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/virology , Child , Nasopharynx/virology , SARS-CoV-2/genetics , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , Coinfection/virology , Coinfection/epidemiology , Aged , Child, Preschool , InfantABSTRACT
Background and Objectives: Neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) as an imperative antiviral for influenza prophylaxis and treatment are being consumed worldwide. Increasing use of these antivirals might be associated with drug resistance. Regarding the significance of these variations, this study aimed to investigate the mutations occurring in the NA gene of influenza A viruses leading to oseltamivir resistance during 2017-2019 in Iran. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 40 influenza A (H1N1, H3N2) strains, isolated in National Influenza Center (NIC) from patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) during 2017-2019 were subjected to RT-PCR and sequencing of NA complete gene. The frequency of oseltamivir resistance and variation of NA amino acids in these strains were investigated. Results: No significant mutation conferring oseltamivir resistance was detected. However, NA antigenic sites in these strains depicted minor changes compared to the vaccine strains. Among H3N2 isolates, mutations at 329, 344, 346 and 385 and among H1N1 isolates mutations at 143 and 188 residues occurred in NA antigenic regions. Conclusion: Evaluation of NA gene sequences, showed no resistant viruses to oseltamivir. Given that the viruses in the present study were the last viruses circulating in Iran before COVID-19 pandemic, the results will be beneficial to have a worthy comparison with the strains circulating after the pandemic. Constant monitoring for the emergence of drug-resistant variants and antigenic changes are crucial for all countries.