Dynamics of Early Establishment of SARS-CoV-2 VOC Omicron Lineages in Minas Gerais, Brazil
Mariane Talon de Menezes,
Filipe Romero Rebello Moreira,
Charles Whittaker,
Franciele Martins Santos,
Daniel Costa Queiroz,
Victor Geddes,
Paula Luize Camargos Fonseca,
Jaqueline Góes de Jesus,
Franciane Mendes-Oliveira,
Valquíria Reis-Souza,
Bibiana Santos,
Danielle Alves Gomes Zauli,
Aline Brito de Lima,
Cristiane de Brito Mendonça,
Luige Biciati Alvim,
Joice do Prado Silva,
Frederico Scott Varella Malta,
Alessandro Clayton de Souza Ferreira,
Nuno R. Faria,
Ester Cerdeira Sabino,
Renato Santana Aguiar
Affiliations
Mariane Talon de Menezes
Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
Filipe Romero Rebello Moreira
Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
Charles Whittaker
MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BX, UK
Franciele Martins Santos
Laboratory of Integrative Biology, Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270, Brazil
Daniel Costa Queiroz
Laboratory of Integrative Biology, Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270, Brazil
Victor Geddes
Laboratory of Integrative Biology, Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270, Brazil
Paula Luize Camargos Fonseca
Laboratory of Integrative Biology, Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270, Brazil
Jaqueline Góes de Jesus
Institute of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 04023, Brazil
Franciane Mendes-Oliveira
Institute of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 04023, Brazil
Valquíria Reis-Souza
Institute of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 04023, Brazil
Bibiana Santos
Mendelics Genomic Analysis, São Paulo 04023, Brazil
Danielle Alves Gomes Zauli
Pardini Group, Research and Development Department, Belo Horizonte 31270, Brazil
Aline Brito de Lima
Pardini Group, Research and Development Department, Belo Horizonte 31270, Brazil
Cristiane de Brito Mendonça
Pardini Group, Research and Development Department, Belo Horizonte 31270, Brazil
Luige Biciati Alvim
Pardini Group, Research and Development Department, Belo Horizonte 31270, Brazil
Joice do Prado Silva
Pardini Group, Research and Development Department, Belo Horizonte 31270, Brazil
Frederico Scott Varella Malta
Pardini Group, Research and Development Department, Belo Horizonte 31270, Brazil
Alessandro Clayton de Souza Ferreira
Pardini Group, Research and Development Department, Belo Horizonte 31270, Brazil
Nuno R. Faria
MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BX, UK
Ester Cerdeira Sabino
Institute of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 04023, Brazil
Renato Santana Aguiar
Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
Brazil is one of the nations most affected by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The introduction and establishment of new virus variants can be related to an increase in cases and fatalities. The emergence of Omicron, the most modified SARS-CoV-2 variant, caused alarm for the public health of Brazil. In this study, we examined the effects of the Omicron introduction in Minas Gerais (MG), the second-most populous state of Brazil. A total of 430 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) samples from November 2021 to June 2022 from Belo Horizonte (BH) city were sequenced. These newly sequenced genomes comprise 72% of all previously available SARS-CoV-2 genomes for the city. Evolutionary analysis of novel viral genomes reveals that a great diversity of Omicron sublineages have circulated in BH, a pattern in-keeping with observations across Brazil more generally. Bayesian phylogeographic reconstructions indicate that this diversity is a product of a large number of international and national importations. As observed previously, São Paulo state is shown as a significant hub for viral spread throughout the country, contributing to around 70% of all viral Omicron introductions detected in MG.
