Genomic epidemiology unveils the dynamics and spatial corridor behind the Yellow Fever virus outbreak in Southern Brazil.
Marta GiovanettiFrancesco PinottiCamila ZanlucaVagner FonsecaTaishi NakaseAndrea Cristine KoishiMarcel TschaGuilherme SoaresGisiane Gruber DorlAntônio Ernesto M L MarquesRenato SousaTalita Émile Ribeiro AdelinoJoilson XavierCarla OliveiraSandro PatrocaNatalia Rocha GuimaraesHegger Machado FritschMaria Angélica Monteiro de Mello Mares-GuiaFlavia LevyPedro Henrique PassosVinicius Leme da SilvaLuiz Augusto PereiraAna Flávia MendonçaIsabel Luana de MacêdoDavi Emanuel Ribeiro de SousaGabriela Rodrigues de Toledo CostaMarcio Botelho de CastroMiguel de Souza AndradeFilipe Vieira Santos de AbreuFabrício Souza CamposFelipe Campos de Melo IaniMaira Alves PereiraKarina Ribeiro Leite Jardim CavalcanteAndré Ricardo Ribas FreitasCarlos Frederico Campelo de Albuquerque E MeloEduardo Marques MacárioMarlei Pickler Debiasi Dos AnjosRosane Campanher RamosAline Alves Scarpellini CamposAdriano PinterMarcia ChameLivia AbdallaIrina Nastassja RiedigerSérvio Pontes RibeiroAna I BentoTulio de OliveiraCarla FreitasNoely Fabiana Oliveira de MouraAllison FabriCintia Damasceno Dos Santos RodriguesCarolina Cardoso Dos SantosMarco Antonio Barreto de AlmeidaEdmilson Dos SantosJader da Cruz CardosoDouglas Adriano AugustoEduardo KrempserLuis Filipe MucciRenata Rispoli GattiSabrina Fernandes CardosoJoão Augusto Brancher FuckMaria Goretti David LopesIvana Lucia BelmonteGabriela Mayoral Pedroso da SilvaMaiane Regina Ferreira SoaresMarilia de Melo Santos de CastilhosJoseana Cardoso de Souza E SilvaAlceu Bisetto JuniorEmanuelle Gemin PouzatoLaurina Setsuko TanabeDaniele Akemi AritaRicardo MatsuoJosiane Dos Santos RaymundoPaula Cristina Linder SilvaAna Santana Araújo Ferreira SilvaSandro Patroca da SilvaGlauco CarvalhoRodrigo Guerino StabeliWildo NavegantesLuciano Andrade MoreiraAlvaro Gil A FerreiraGuilherme Garcia PinheiroBruno Tardelli Diniz NunesDaniele Barbosa de Almeida MedeirosAna Cecília Ribeiro CruzRivaldo Venâncio da CunhaWesley C Van VoorhisAna Maria Bispo de FilippisMaria AlmironEdward C HolmesDaniel Garkauskas RamosAlessandro Pecego Martins RomanoPaul S WikramaratnaLuiz Carlos Junior AlcantaraClaudia N Duarte Dos SantosPublished in: Science advances (2023)
Despite the considerable morbidity and mortality of yellow fever virus (YFV) infections in Brazil, our understanding of disease outbreaks is hampered by limited viral genomic data. Here, through a combination of phylogenetic and epidemiological models, we reconstructed the recent transmission history of YFV within different epidemic seasons in Brazil. A suitability index based on the highly domesticated Aedes aegypti was able to capture the seasonality of reported human infections. Spatial modeling revealed spatial hotspots with both past reporting and low vaccination coverage, which coincided with many of the largest urban centers in the Southeast. Phylodynamic analysis unraveled the circulation of three distinct lineages and provided proof of the directionality of a known spatial corridor that connects the endemic North with the extra-Amazonian basin. This study illustrates that genomics linked with eco-epidemiology can provide new insights into the landscape of YFV transmission, augmenting traditional approaches to infectious disease surveillance and control.