Introduction, Dispersal, and Predominance of SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: A Retrospective Analysis.

ABSTRACT: Mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome can alter the virus' fitness, leading to the emergence of variants of concern (VOC). In Brazil, the Gamma variant dominated the pandemic in the first half of 2021, and from June onwards, the first cases of Delta infection were documented. Here, we investigate the introduction and dispersal of the Delta variant in the RS state by sequencing 1077 SARS-CoV-2-positive samples from June to October 2021. Of these samples, 34.7% were identified as Gamma and 65.3% as Delta. Notably, 99.2% of Delta sequences were clustered within the 21J lineage, forming a significant Brazilian clade. The estimated clock rate was 5.97 × 10^-4 substitutions per site per year. The Delta variant was first reported on 17 June in the Vinhedos Basalto microregion and rapidly s

SUBMITTER: Y Castro TR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10745878 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature