Insights into Molecular Evolution of Enterovirus D68

Abstract

Abstract Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is a respiratory virus that primarily affects children and has been associated with sporadic outbreaks of respiratory illness worldwide. The present study evaluated temporal spreading and molecular evolution of EV-D68 clades (A1, A2, B, B1, B2, B3, and C). Bayesian coalescent analyses was performed to study viral evolution. Data from 976 whole genome sequences (WGS) collected between 1977 to 2022 were evaluated. The time to the most recent common ancestor of A1 was 2005-04-17 in the USA, A2 was 2003-12-23 in China, B was 2003-07-06 in China, B1 was 2010-03-21 in Vietnam, B2 was 2006-11-25 in Vietnam, B3 was 2011-01-15 in China, and C was 2000-06-27 in the USA. The molecular origin of the EV-D68 was in Canada in 1995, later it was disseminated in France in 1997, the USA in 1999, Asia in 2008, the Netherlands in 2009, New Zealand in 2010, Mexico in 2014, Kenya in 2015, Sweden in 2016, Switzerland in 2018, Spain in 2018, Belgium in 2018, Australia in 2018, and Denmark in 2019. Recently, in 2022 this virus circulated in the USA. In conclusion, EV-D68 was originated in Canada in 1995 and spread to Europe, Asia, Oceania, Latin America, and Africa.