Work

Epidemiological characteristics and genomic analysis of respiratory adenovirus in Jining City from February 2023 to July 2024

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Human adenovirus (HAdV) infection can cause high fever, pneumonia, and even death, posing a serious threat to human health. This study analyzes the epidemiological characteristics and genetic features of respiratory adenovirus in Jining City from February 2023 to July 2024. METHODS: From February 2023 to July 2024, 3,947 throat swab specimens were collected from influenza-like illness cases at Jining First People's Hospital and Rencheng District Maternal and Child Health Hospital. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was used to detect HAdV nucleic acid. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on HAdV-positive samples. Phylogenetic trees were constructed for the whole genome, Penton base gene, Hexon gene, and Fiber gene of HAdV, and protein variation sites were analyzed. RESULTS: The HAdV positivity rate in influenza-like cases in Jining City from February 2023 to July 2024 was 3.42% (135/3947), with higher positivity rates in younger age groups. HAdV positivity rates were higher between December 2023 and July 2024, while lower between January 2023 and November 2023. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on 47 HAdV samples, revealing 38 cases of HAdV-B and 9 cases of HAdV-C, with no HAdV-E detected. HAdV-B and HAdV-C co-circulated in Jining City from February to December 2023, while HAdV-B predominated from January to July 2024. All 38 HAdV-B sequences from Jining City are HAdV-3. In the phylogenetic trees of the whole genome, Penton base gene, Hexon gene, and Fiber gene of HAdV-B, all 38 HAdV-B strains from Jining City are located in the same evolutionary branch as the Chinese HAdV-3 candidate vaccine strain Guangzhou01. Compared to Guangzhou01, the RGD motif in Penton base and antigenic epitopes in Hexon of the 38 HAdV-B strains from Jining remained unchanged. Among the 9 HAdV-C sequences from Jining, 4 were identified as HAdV-104 and 5 as HAdV-108. The RGD motif in Penton base protein and receptor-binding sites in Fiber protein remained unchanged in all 9 HAdV-C sequences. CONCLUSIONS: From February 2023 to July 2024, HAdV in Jining City primarily circulated among younger age groups in influenza-like illness cases, with no apparent seasonal pattern. Enhanced surveillance of HAdV and accelerated development and marketing of HAdV vaccines are necessary.

Source: BMC Genomics

DOI: 10.1186/s12864-025-11558-1