TY - JOUR
AU - Butera, Yvan
AU - Mukantwari, Enatha
AU - Artesi, Maria
AU - Umuringa, Jeanne D’arc
AU - O'Toole, Áine Niamh
AU - Hill, Verity
AU - Rooke, Stefan
AU - Hong, Samuel L.
AU - Dellicour, Simon
AU - Majyambere, Onesphore
AU - Bontems, Sebastien
AU - Boujemla, Bouchra
AU - Quick, Joshua
AU - Resende, Paola Cristina
AU - Loman, Nicholas J.
AU - Umumararungu, Esperance
AU - Kabanda, Alice
AU - Murindahabi, Marylin Milumbu
AU - Tuyisenge, Patrick
AU - Gashegu, Misbah
AU - Rwabihama, Jean Paul
AU - Sindayiheba, Reuben
AU - Gikic, Djordje
AU - Souopgui, Jacob
AU - Ndifon, Wilfred
AU - Rutayisire, Robert
AU - Gatare, Swaibu
AU - Mpunga, Tharcisse
AU - Ngamije, Daniel
AU - Bours, Vincent
AU - Rambaut, Andrew
AU - Nsanzimana, Sabin
AU - Baele, Guy
AU - Durkin, Keith
AU - Mutesa, Leon
AU - Rujeni, Nadine
PY - 2021
DA - September
TI - Genomic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in Rwanda reveals the importance of incoming travelers on lineage diversity
JO - Nature Communications
VL - 12
IS - 1
DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25985-7
AB - COVID-19 transmission rates are often linked to locally circulating strains of SARS-CoV-2. Here we describe 203 SARS-CoV-2 whole genome sequences analyzed from strains circulating in Rwanda from May 2020 to February 2021. In particular, we report a shift in variant distribution towards the emerging sub-lineage A.23.1 that is currently dominating. Furthermore, we report the detection of the first Rwandan cases of the B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 variants of concern among incoming travelers tested at Kigali International Airport. To assess the importance of viral introductions from neighboring countries and local transmission, we exploit available individual travel history metadata to inform spatio-temporal phylogeographic inference, enabling us to take into account infections from unsampled locations. We uncover an important role of neighboring countries in seeding introductions into Rwanda, including those from which no genomic sequences were available. Our results highlight the importance of systematic genomic surveillance and regional collaborations for a durable response towards combating COVID-19.
PB - Springer Nature
UR - https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/94226d86-da31-47d6-9acc-e64b6da94cfd
KW - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
ER