TY - JOUR
T1 - Recurrent Dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 Through the Uruguayan–Brazilian Border
AU - Mir, Daiana
AU - Rego, Natalia
AU - Resende, Paola Cristina
AU - Tort, Fernando
AU - Fernández-Calero, Tamara
AU - Noya, Verónica
AU - Brandes, Mariana
AU - Possi, Tania
AU - Arleo, Mailen
AU - Reyes, Natalia
AU - Victoria, Matías
AU - Lizasoain, Andres
AU - Castells, Matías
AU - Maya, Leticia
AU - Salvo, Matías
AU - Schäffer Gregianini, Tatiana
AU - Mar da Rosa, Marilda Tereza
AU - Garay Martins, Letícia
AU - Alonso, Cecilia
AU - Vega, Yasser
AU - Salazar, Cecilia
AU - Ferrés, Ignacio
AU - Smircich, Pablo
AU - Sotelo Silveira, Jose
AU - Fort, Rafael Sebastián
AU - Mathó, Cecilia
AU - Arantes, Ighor
AU - Appolinario, Luciana
AU - Mendonça, Ana Carolina
AU - Benítez-Galeano, María José
AU - Simoes, Camila
AU - Graña, Martín
AU - Motta, Fernando
AU - Siqueira, Marilda Mendonça
AU - Bello, Gonzalo
AU - Colina, Rodney
AU - Spangenberg, Lucía
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2021 Mir, Rego, Resende, Tort, Fernández-Calero, Noya, Brandes, Possi, Arleo, Reyes, Victoria, Lizasoain, Castells, Maya, Salvo, Schäffer Gregianini, Mar da Rosa, Garay Martins, Alonso, Vega, Salazar, Ferrés, Smircich, Sotelo Silveira, Fort, Mathó, Arantes, Appolinario, Mendonça, Benítez-Galeano, Simoes, Graña, Motta, Siqueira, Bello, Colina and Spangenberg.
PY - 2021/5/28
Y1 - 2021/5/28
N2 - Uruguay is one of the few countries in the Americas that successfully contained the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) epidemic during the first half of 2020. Nevertheless, the intensive human mobility across the dry border with Brazil is a major challenge for public health authorities. We aimed to investigate the origin of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strains detected in Uruguayan localities bordering Brazil as well as to measure the viral flux across this ∼1,100 km uninterrupted dry frontier. Using complete SARS-CoV-2 genomes from the Uruguayan–Brazilian bordering region and phylogeographic analyses, we inferred the virus dissemination frequency between Brazil and Uruguay and characterized local outbreak dynamics during the first months (May–July) of the pandemic. Phylogenetic analyses revealed multiple introductions of SARS-CoV-2 Brazilian lineages B.1.1.28 and B.1.1.33 into Uruguayan localities at the bordering region. The most probable sources of viral strains introduced to Uruguay were the Southeast Brazilian region and the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Some of the viral strains introduced in Uruguayan border localities between early May and mid-July were able to locally spread and originated the first outbreaks detected outside the metropolitan region. The viral lineages responsible for Uruguayan urban outbreaks were defined by a set of between four and 11 mutations (synonymous and non-synonymous) with respect to the ancestral B.1.1.28 and B.1.1.33 viruses that arose in Brazil, supporting the notion of a rapid genetic differentiation between SARS-CoV-2 subpopulations spreading in South America. Although Uruguayan borders have remained essentially closed to non-Uruguayan citizens, the inevitable flow of people across the dry border with Brazil allowed the repeated entry of the virus into Uruguay and the subsequent emergence of local outbreaks in Uruguayan border localities. Implementation of coordinated bi-national surveillance systems is crucial to achieve an efficient control of the SARS-CoV-2 spread across this kind of highly permeable borderland regions around the world.
AB - Uruguay is one of the few countries in the Americas that successfully contained the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) epidemic during the first half of 2020. Nevertheless, the intensive human mobility across the dry border with Brazil is a major challenge for public health authorities. We aimed to investigate the origin of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strains detected in Uruguayan localities bordering Brazil as well as to measure the viral flux across this ∼1,100 km uninterrupted dry frontier. Using complete SARS-CoV-2 genomes from the Uruguayan–Brazilian bordering region and phylogeographic analyses, we inferred the virus dissemination frequency between Brazil and Uruguay and characterized local outbreak dynamics during the first months (May–July) of the pandemic. Phylogenetic analyses revealed multiple introductions of SARS-CoV-2 Brazilian lineages B.1.1.28 and B.1.1.33 into Uruguayan localities at the bordering region. The most probable sources of viral strains introduced to Uruguay were the Southeast Brazilian region and the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Some of the viral strains introduced in Uruguayan border localities between early May and mid-July were able to locally spread and originated the first outbreaks detected outside the metropolitan region. The viral lineages responsible for Uruguayan urban outbreaks were defined by a set of between four and 11 mutations (synonymous and non-synonymous) with respect to the ancestral B.1.1.28 and B.1.1.33 viruses that arose in Brazil, supporting the notion of a rapid genetic differentiation between SARS-CoV-2 subpopulations spreading in South America. Although Uruguayan borders have remained essentially closed to non-Uruguayan citizens, the inevitable flow of people across the dry border with Brazil allowed the repeated entry of the virus into Uruguay and the subsequent emergence of local outbreaks in Uruguayan border localities. Implementation of coordinated bi-national surveillance systems is crucial to achieve an efficient control of the SARS-CoV-2 spread across this kind of highly permeable borderland regions around the world.
KW - Brazil
KW - SARS-CoV-2
KW - Uruguay
KW - epidemiology
KW - genomics
KW - phylogenetics
KW - phylogeography
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85107645725&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fmicb.2021.653986
DO - 10.3389/fmicb.2021.653986
M3 - Artículo
AN - SCOPUS:85107645725
SN - 1664-302X
VL - 12
JO - Frontiers in Microbiology
JF - Frontiers in Microbiology
M1 - 653986
ER -