SARS-CoV-2 Phylogenetic Analysis, Lazio Region, Italy, February–March 2020 - Volume 26, Number 8—August 2020 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC

SARS-CoV-2 Phylogenetic Analysis, Lazio Region, Italy, February–March 2020 - Volume 26, Number 8—August 2020 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC

Volume 26, Number 8—August 2020

Dispatch

SARS-CoV-2 Phylogenetic Analysis, Lazio Region, Italy, February–March 2020

Barbara Bartolini, Martina Rueca, Cesare Ernesto Maria Gruber, Francesco Messina, Fabrizio Carletti, Emanuela Giombini, Eleonora Lalle, Licia Bordi, Giulia Matusali, Francesca Colavita, Concetta Castilletti, Francesco Vairo, Giuseppe Ippolito, Maria Rosaria Capobianchi, and Antonino Di Caro 

Author affiliations: National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani” IRCCS, Rome, Italy

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Abstract

We report phylogenetic and mutational analysis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus strains from the Lazio region of Italy and provide information about the dynamics of virus spread. Data suggest effective containment of clade V strains, but subsequently, multiple waves of clade G strains were circulating widely in Europe.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has raised serious concerns because of its rapid dissemination worldwide. Italy is one of the countries with the highest number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases (1,2). Nevertheless, the information about the molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 strains circulating in Italy is still limited. The analysis of sequence data shown in GISAID (https://www.gisaid.orgExternal Link) indicates that the initial introduction of SARS-CoV-2 in Italy through 2 infected tourists in January was effectively contained (3), and no further circulation of similar clade V strains has been so far detected. An intense wave of infections occurred afterwards, initially affecting Lombardy and Veneto and later on all the other regions of Italy. The strains detected in Italy since February 20 belonged only to clade G. This clade, apparently originating in Shanghai, has been widely circulating in the European Union (EU) countries before reaching Italy (3–5).

Preliminary data suggested that multiple introductions of clade G strains have occurred in Italy, giving rise to contemporary circulation of different strains also detected in other EU countries; this pattern suggests that, after partially undetected introduction of the virus in EU from China, the circulation of travelers within EU ignited virus spread in Europe. We report the phylogenetic and mutational analysis of SARS-CoV-2 strains detected in the Lazio region of Italy, providing additional information on the dynamics of virus dissemination in this country.