Genomic Epidemiology of Early SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Dynamics, Gujarat, India

Limited genomic sampling in many high-incidence countries has impeded studies of severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomic epidemiology. Consequently, critical questions remain about the generation and global distribution of virus genetic diversity. We investigated SARS-CoV-2 t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jayna Raghwani, Louis du Plessis, John T. McCrone, Sarah C. Hill, Kris V. Parag, Julien Thézé, Dinesh Kumar, Apurva Puvar, Ramesh Pandit, Oliver G. Pybus, Guillaume Fournié, Madhvi Joshi, Chaitanya Joshi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2022-04-01
Series:Emerging Infectious Diseases
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Online Access:https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/28/4/21-2053_article
Description
Summary:Limited genomic sampling in many high-incidence countries has impeded studies of severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomic epidemiology. Consequently, critical questions remain about the generation and global distribution of virus genetic diversity. We investigated SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in Gujarat, India, during the state’s first epidemic wave to shed light on spread of the virus in one of the regions hardest hit by the pandemic. By integrating case data and 434 whole-genome sequences sampled across 20 districts, we reconstructed the epidemic dynamics and spatial spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Gujarat. Our findings indicate global and regional connectivity and population density were major drivers of the Gujarat outbreak. We detected >100 virus lineage introductions, most of which appear to be associated with international travel. Within Gujarat, virus dissemination occurred predominantly from densely populated regions to geographically proximate locations that had low population density, suggesting that urban centers contributed disproportionately to virus spread.
ISSN:1080-6040
1080-6059