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Volume 11, Issue 3

Human respiratory syncytial virus genetic diversity and lineage replacement in Ireland pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic Open Access

Abstract

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is a common cause of lower respiratory tract infections globally, and changes in viral epidemiology have been observed in many jurisdictions following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Newly licensed vaccines and monoclonal antibodies are anticipated to alleviate the burden on healthcare systems, though such interventions may exert selective pressures on viral evolution. To evaluate the diversity of HRSV in Ireland pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic, whole-genome sequencing was performed on HRSV-A (=123) and -B (=110) samples collected from community and hospitalized cases, during three HRSV seasons between 2021 and 2024. Additionally, G gene sequences, from HRSV-A (=141) and -B (=141), collected in the 2015–2019 period were examined. Lineages were assigned by phylogenetic analyses including reference lineages. Phylogenetic trees inferred with the G gene and whole genomes were consistent. Changes in the prevalence of certain lineages post-COVID-19 reflected the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) introduced to reduce severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission, with A.D.1 and A.D.5 the dominant HRSV-A lineages and B.D.E.1 the most prevalent HRSV-B lineage. Similar trends were observed in HRSV lineages circulating across Europe during this time. The emergence of a new lineage was identified as a descendant from A.D.1, with eight distinctive substitutions in proteins G, F and L. Other circulating lineages with substitutions were observed in the F glycoprotein, which could impact nirsevimab binding. We provide the first comprehensive analysis of HRSV genomic diversity and evolution in Ireland over the last decade and the impact of the NPIs introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study provides a foundation for future public health surveillance employing pathogen genomics to enable an evidence-based assessment of the impact of pharmaceutical interventions on HRSV evolution and disease severity.

  • Received:
  • Accepted:
  • Published Online:
Keyword(s): genetic diversity , human respiratory syncytial virus , lineages , orthopneumovirus and whole-genome sequencing
Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) (Award JP223fa627005)
    • Principal Award Recipient: HirofumiSawa
  • Innovative Medicines Initiative (Award 101034339)
    • Principal Award Recipient: AdamMeijer
© 2025 The Authors
  • This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. This article was made open access via a Publish and Read agreement between the Microbiology Society and the corresponding author’s institution.
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2025-03-17
2026-03-12

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Human respiratory syncytial virus genetic diversity and lineage replacement in Ireland pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic
M Gen 11, 001379 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.001379
/content/journal/mgen/10.1099/mgen.0.001379
/content/journal/mgen/10.1099/mgen.0.001379
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