Possible European Origin of Circulating Varicella Zoster Virus Strains. (3rd May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pontremoli, Chiara; Forni, Diego; Clerici, Mario; Cagliani, Rachele; Sironi, Manuela
• Is Part Of: Journal of infectious diseases. Volume 221:Number 8(2020)
• Page Start: 1286
• Page End: 1294
• Publication Date: 2019-05-03
• Subjects: varicella zoster virus -- phylogeography -- origin -- admixture; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Diseases -- Causes and theories of causation -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Communicable Diseases -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.9
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz227
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-1899

Abstract

Abstract: Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is the causative agent of chickenpox and shingles. The geographic distribution of VZV clades was taken as evidence that VZV migrated out of Africa with human populations. We show that extant VZV strains most likely originated in Europe and not in Africa. Europe was also identified as the ancestral location for most internal nodes of the VZV phylogeny, including the ancestor of clade 5 strains. We also show that strains from clades 1, 2, 3, and 5 derived a major proportion of their ancestry from each of 4 ancestral populations. Conversely, viruses from other clades displayed variable levels of admixture. Some low-level admixture was also observed for clade 5 genomes, but only for non-African viruses. This pattern indicates that the clade 5 VZV strains do not represent recent introductions from Africa due to migratory fluxes. These data have also relevance for the definition and classification of VZV clades. Abstract : Extant varicella zoster virus (VZV) strains most likely originated in Europe and derived a major proportion of their genomes from ≥4 ancestral populations. Those from clades 4, 6, 9, and VIII have mosaic genomes, relevant for the classification of VZV clades.