Whole-Genome Sequencing of Measles Virus Genotypes H1 and D8 During Outbreaks of Infection Following the 2010 Olympic Winter Games Reveals Viral Transmission Routes

Jennifer L Gardy; Monika Naus; Ashraf Amlani; Walter Chung; Hochan Kim; Malcolm Tan; Alberto Severini; Mel Krajden; David Puddicombe; Vanita Sahni; Althea S Hayden; Reka Gustafson; Bonnie Henry; Patrick Tang

doi:10.1093/infdis/jiv271

Whole-Genome Sequencing of Measles Virus Genotypes H1 and D8 During Outbreaks of Infection Following the 2010 Olympic Winter Games Reveals Viral Transmission Routes

J Infect Dis. 2015 Nov 15;212(10):1574-8. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiv271. Epub 2015 Jul 6.

Authors

Jennifer L Gardy¹, Monika Naus¹, Ashraf Amlani², Walter Chung³, Hochan Kim⁴, Malcolm Tan⁵, Alberto Severini⁶, Mel Krajden⁷, David Puddicombe⁸, Vanita Sahni⁹, Althea S Hayden¹⁰, Reka Gustafson¹¹, Bonnie Henry¹², Patrick Tang⁷

Affiliations

¹ British Columbia Centre for Disease Control School of Population and Public Health.
² British Columbia Centre for Disease Control British Columbia Public Health Microbiology and Reference Laboratory.
³ Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy British Columbia Public Health Microbiology and Reference Laboratory.
⁴ British Columbia Public Health Microbiology and Reference Laboratory Emergency Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
⁵ Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Saba University School of Medicine, Municipality of the Netherlands.
⁶ National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg.
⁷ Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine British Columbia Public Health Microbiology and Reference Laboratory.
⁸ British Columbia Centre for Disease Control.
⁹ British Columbia Centre for Disease Control Alberta Health and Wellness, Edmonton, Canada.
¹⁰ Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia Vancouver Coastal Health Authority.
¹¹ Vancouver Coastal Health Authority.
¹² British Columbia Centre for Disease Control School of Population and Public Health Office of the Provincial Health Officer, British Columbia Ministry of Health, Victoria.

PMID: 26153409
DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiv271

Abstract

We used whole-genome sequencing to investigate a dual-genotype outbreak of measles occurring after the XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada. By sequencing 27 complete genomes from H1 and D8 genotype measles viruses isolated from outbreak cases, we estimated the virus mutation rate, determined that person-to-person transmission is typically associated with 0 mutations between isolates, and established that a single introduction of H1 virus led to the expansion of the outbreak beyond Vancouver. This is the largest measles genomics project to date, revealing novel aspects of measles virus genetics and providing new insights into transmission of this reemerging viral pathogen.

Keywords: epidemiology; genomics; mass gathering; measles; outbreak; transmission.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Canada / epidemiology
Crowding
Disease Outbreaks*
Disease Transmission, Infectious*
Genome, Viral*
Genotype*
Humans
Measles / epidemiology*
Measles / transmission
Measles virus / classification*
Measles virus / genetics
Measles virus / isolation & purification
Molecular Epidemiology
Molecular Sequence Data
Sequence Analysis, DNA*

Associated data

GENBANK/KJ018970
GENBANK/KJ018971