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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, August 2009, p. 2475-2482, Vol. 47, No. 8
0095-1137/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.00115-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Emerging Genotypes of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Subgroup A among Patients in Japan{triangledown}

Yugo Shobugawa,1* Reiko Saito,1 Yasuko Sano,2 Hassan Zaraket,1 Yasushi Suzuki,1 Akihiko Kumaki,1 Isolde Dapat,1 Taeko Oguma,1 Masahiro Yamaguchi,1 and Hiroshi Suzuki1

Division of Public Health, Department of Infectious Control and International Medicine, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan,1 Sano Clinic, Niigata, Japan2

Received 20 January 2009/ Returned for modification 5 May 2009/ Accepted 17 June 2009

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is a common etiological agent of acute lower respiratory tract disease in infants. We report the molecular epidemiology of HRSV in Niigata, Japan, over six successive seasons (from 2001 to 2007) and the emerging genotypes of HRSV subgroup A (HRSV-A) strains. A total of 488 HRSV samples were obtained from 1,103 screened cases in a pediatric clinic in Niigata. According to the phylogenetic analysis, among the PCR-positive samples, 338 HRSV-A strains clustered into the previously reported genotypes GA5 and GA7 and two novel genotypes, NA1 and NA2, which were genetically close to GA2 strains. One hundred fifty HRSV-B strains clustered into three genotypes, namely, GB3, SAB3, and BA, which has a 60-nucleotide insertion in the second hypervariable region of the G protein. The NA1 strains emerged first, in the 2004-2005 season, and subsequently, the NA2 strain emerged in the 2005-2006 season. Both strains caused large epidemics in the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons. The average age of children who were infected with NA2 strains was significantly higher than that of those infected with GA5 and the frequency of reinfection by NA2 was the highest among all genotypes, suggesting that this genotype possessed new antigenicity for evading past host immunity. This is the first paper to show a possible correlation between an emerging genotype, NA2, and large outbreaks of HRSV in Japan. Continuing studies to follow up the genetic changes and to clarify the mechanism of reinfection in HRSV are important steps to understand HRSV infections.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Division of Public Health, Department of Infectious Control and International Medicine, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 1-757, Asahimachi-dori, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, 951-8510, Japan. Phone: 81 25 227 2129. Fax: 81 25 227 0765. E-mail: yugo{at}med.niigata-u.ac.jp

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 24 June 2009.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, August 2009, p. 2475-2482, Vol. 47, No. 8
0095-1137/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.00115-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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