Emerging Infectious Diseases (Jun 2021)

Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Trajectory of Emerging Echovirus 30, Europe

  • Kimberley S.M. Benschop,
  • Eeva K. Broberg,
  • Emma Hodcroft,
  • Dennis Schmitz,
  • Jan Albert,
  • Anda Baicus,
  • Jean-Luc Bailly,
  • Gudrun Baldvinsdottir,
  • Natasa Berginc,
  • Soile Blomqvist,
  • Sindy Böttcher,
  • Mia Brytting,
  • Erika Bujaki,
  • Maria Cabrerizo,
  • Cristina Celma,
  • Ondrej Cinek,
  • Eric C.J. Claas,
  • Jeroen Cremer,
  • Jonathan Dean,
  • Jennifer L. Dembinski,
  • Iryna Demchyshyna,
  • Sabine Diedrich,
  • Susanne Dudman,
  • Jake Dunning,
  • Robert Dyrdak,
  • Mary Emmanouil,
  • Agnes Farkas,
  • Cillian De Gascun,
  • Guillaume Fournier,
  • Irina Georgieva,
  • Ruben Gonzalez-Sanz,
  • Jolanda van Hooydonk-Elving,
  • Anne J. Jääskeläinen,
  • Ruta Jancauskaite,
  • Kathrin Keeren,
  • Thea K. Fischer,
  • Sidsel Krokstad,
  • Lubomira Nikolaeva–Glomb,
  • Ludmila Novakova,
  • Sofie E. Midgley,
  • Audrey Mirand,
  • Richard Molenkamp,
  • Ursula Morley,
  • Joël Mossong,
  • Svajune Muralyte,
  • Jean-Luc Murk,
  • Trung Nguyen,
  • Svein A. Nordbø,
  • Riikka Österback,
  • Suzan Pas,
  • Laura Pellegrinelli,
  • Vassiliki Pogka,
  • Birgit Prochazka,
  • Petra Rainetova,
  • Marc Van Ranst,
  • Lieuwe Roorda,
  • Isabelle Schuffenecker,
  • Rob Schuurman,
  • Asya Stoyanova,
  • Kate Templeton,
  • Jaco J. Verweij,
  • Androniki Voulgari-Kokota,
  • Tytti Vuorinen,
  • Elke Wollants,
  • Katja C. Wolthers,
  • Katherina Zakikhany,
  • Richard Neher,
  • Heli Harvala,
  • Peter Simmonds

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2706.203096
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 27, no. 6
pp. 1616 – 1626

Abstract

Read online

In 2018, an upsurge in echovirus 30 (E30) infections was reported in Europe. We conducted a large-scale epidemiologic and evolutionary study of 1,329 E30 strains collected in 22 countries in Europe during 2016–2018. Most E30 cases affected persons 0–4 years of age (29%) and 25–34 years of age (27%). Sequences were divided into 6 genetic clades (G1–G6). Most (53%) sequences belonged to G1, followed by G6 (23%), G2 (17%), G4 (4%), G3 (0.3%), and G5 (0.2%). Each clade encompassed unique individual recombinant forms; G1 and G4 displayed >2 unique recombinant forms. Rapid turnover of new clades and recombinant forms occurred over time. Clades G1 and G6 dominated in 2018, suggesting the E30 upsurge was caused by emergence of 2 distinct clades circulating in Europe. Investigation into the mechanisms behind the rapid turnover of E30 is crucial for clarifying the epidemiology and evolution of these enterovirus infections.

Keywords