Evolutionary trajectory and spread of respiratory syncytial virus group A in neonatal cohorts in Pakistan amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT: A collaborative effort by the National Institute of Health, Pakistan and the World Health Organization initiated RSV surveillance in children under 2 years old in 2019 in Pakistan. This study aimed to characterise RSV disease, assess genetic diversity of circulating subtypes, and reconstruct the evolutionary history and transmission dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nasal swabs were collected weekly from five sites across three seasons (2019-2022). A subset of samples was sequenced and studied using the BEAST phylodynamic framework. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to explore associations between patient characteristics and infection odds. Out of 758 samples collected, 18.7% tested positive for RSV, mostly RSV-A (93.6%). Influenza A and B positivity rates were 4.2% and 6

SUBMITTER: Tamim S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12301479 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature