SARS-COV-2 GENOMIC SURVEILLANCE IN BULGARIA INDICATES DIVERSE DYNAMICS DRIVEN BY MULTIPLE INTRODUCTIONS OF DIFFERENT VIRAL VARIANTS IN 2022

Authors

  • Ivaylo Alexiev National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Author
  • Ivan Ivanov National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria Author
  • Ivan Stoikov National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9924-8553
  • Deyan Donchev National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7447-7627
  • Lyubomira Grigorova National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria Author
  • Reneta Dimitrova National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7711-6798
  • Anna Gancheva National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria Author
  • Neli Korsun National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria Author
  • Ivelina Trifonova National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4543-6831
  • Veselin Dobrinov National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria Author
  • Todor Kantardjiev National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria Author
  • Iva Christova National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58395/6725v303

Keywords:

SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, sequencing, Viral variants

Abstract

Background. Evolution of the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants raises concerns about the possibility of accelerated transmission,  disease severity, diagnostic challenges, and reduced vaccine effectiveness in the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. Objectives for this study were to build a comprehensive national system for monitoring and genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2  and to identify the introduced virus variants in the country.

Methods. We analyzed SARS-CoV-2 infections in 7948 representative clinical samples collected in medical institutions in different  geographical regions of the country in 2022. Whole-genome next-generation sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 was performed on samples  from randomly selected SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals by using a modified ARTIC v3-tailed amplicon method. A bioinformatic and  phylogenetic analyses of the obtained sequences was carried out.

Results. Significant dynamics was observed in the spread of viral variants in 2022, which is characterized by the introduction and  spread of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants. The phylogenomic analysis identified a high genetic heterogeneiety composed of a total of 152 different viral clades divided into 3 main supergroups: 114 (75.0%) of which were Omicron sub-variants, 35 (23.0%) Delta sub-variants, and 3 (2.0%) recombinant forms.

Conclusion. Viral variants and their sub-clades with different potentials to impact disease severity were identified and the  information was immediately published for use by decision-makers and the scientific community. The global pandemic of COVID-19  has shown the importance of molecular biological surveillance, which is an indispensable element of the modern approach in the  fight against infectious diseases.

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Published

2023-08-14

Issue

Vol. 50 No. 3 (2022)

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2023 Ivaylo Alexiev, Ivan Ivanov, Ivan Stoikov, Deyan Donchev, Lyubomira Grigorova, Reneta Dimitrova, Anna Gancheva, Neli Korsun, Ivelina Trifonova, Veselin Dobrinov, Todor Kantardjiev , Iva Christova (Author)

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How to Cite

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Alexiev, I.; Ivanov, I.; Stoikov, I.; Donchev, D.; Grigorova, L.; Dimitrova, R.; Gancheva, A.; Korsun, N.; Trifonova, I.; Dobrinov, V.; Kantardjiev , T.; Christova, I. SARS-COV-2 GENOMIC SURVEILLANCE IN BULGARIA INDICATES DIVERSE DYNAMICS DRIVEN BY MULTIPLE INTRODUCTIONS OF DIFFERENT VIRAL VARIANTS IN 2022. Probl Infect Parasit Dis 2023, 50 (3), 5-13. https://doi.org/10.58395/6725v303.

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