Unique Genomic Epidemiology of COVID-19 in the White Mountain Apache Tribe, April to August 2020, Arizona.

ABSTRACT: The first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) within the White Mountain Apache Tribe (WMAT) in Arizona was diagnosed almost 1 month after community transmission was recognized in the state. Aggressive contact tracing allowed for robust genomic epidemiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and subsequent phylogenetic analyses implicated only two virus introductions, which resulted in the spread of two unique viral lineages on the reservation. The phylogenies of these lineages reflect the nature of the introductions, the remoteness of the community, and the extraordinarily high attack rates. The timing and space-limited nature of the outbreaks validate the public health tracing efforts involved, which were illustrated by multiple short transmission cha

SUBMITTER: Bowers JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10117077 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature