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Published on: January 28, 2016
Genetic analysis of human adenovirus type 7 circulating in China during 2014-2025
Jinjin Wang1, Ling Jing2, Yali Duan1
1Beijing Key Laboratory of Core Technologies for the Prevention and Treatment of Emerging Infectious Diseases in Children, Beijing Research Center for Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children, Ministry of Education, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Research Unit of Critical Infection in Children, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU016, Laboratory of Infection and Virology, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing 100045, China.
Insights
Human adenovirus type 7 (HAdV-7) is a significant cause of severe respiratory infections in hospitalized children in China. Predominant Cluster 2 strains show novel mutations potentially linked to severe disease, highlighting the need for continued surveillance.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Genomics
Background:
- Human adenovirus type 7 (HAdV-7) outbreaks cause severe acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in children globally.
- Understanding HAdV-7 clinical and genetic features is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of HAdV-7 in hospitalized children with ARIs in China.
- To analyze the phylogenetic and evolutionary patterns of circulating HAdV-7 strains.
Main Methods:
- Respiratory samples analyzed from hospitalized children with ARIs across China (2014-2025).
- HAdV detection, genotyping, and whole-genome sequencing performed.
- Clinical data collected; phylogenetic and recombination analyses conducted.
Main Results:
- HAdV-7 was the second most common HAdV genotype (31.60%) among 250 HAdV-positive samples.
- Clinical presentations included fever, cough, and severe pneumonia (54.43%); one death reported.
- Phylogenetic analysis identified two clusters; Cluster 2 predominated globally and in China, featuring novel Hexon protein mutations potentially linked to severity.
Conclusions:
- HAdV-7 is a key pathogen causing severe ARIs and mortality in Chinese children.
- The predominant Cluster 2 strains exhibit novel mutations, suggesting ongoing viral evolution.
- Despite genomic stability, HAdV-7 evolution warrants continued monitoring for public health preparedness.
Objectives:
Human adenovirus type 7 (HAdV-7) has caused outbreaks of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) among children in multiple countries. This study aimed to investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of HAdV-7 in hospitalized children with ARIs in China.
Methods:
Respiratory samples were collected from hospitalized children with ARIs at 10 hospitals across Northern and Southern China between 2014 and 2025 for HAdV detection and genotyping. Clinical data of HAdV-7-positive patients were collected for clinical characteristics analysis. The whole genomes of isolated HAdV-7 strains were sequenced for bioinformatics analysis with those selected from GenBank.
Results:
Among 250 HAdV-positive samples, 79 (31.60%) were HAdV-7, ranking second only to HAdV-114 (46.80%). Patients primarily presented with fever, cough, and sputum production. Some cases also complicated with gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, skin rashes, and ocular diseases. Severe pneumonia occurred in 54.43% of patients, with one death. Whole genome sequence phylogenetic analysis revealed that HAdV-7 could be divided into two clusters. Cluster 1, including the prototype strain, had been rarely reported globally since the discovery of HAdV-7. Cluster 2 was the predominant cluster circulating worldwide, including China. Three novel amino acid substitutions were observed in the Loop 1 region of the Hexon protein, which might be associated with the severe disease phenotype and resulted in the emergence of a positive selection site. Recombination analysis identified a recombination event, which occurred as early as 1988. In vitro experiments demonstrated that HAdV-7 had comparable proliferation capacity with other genotypes of the HAdV-B species.
Conclusions:
HAdV-7 was an important pathogen of hospitalized children with ARIs in China, and associated with severe diseases and even death. Cluster 2 was the predominant epidemic cluster worldwide. Although the HAdV-7 genome was relatively conserved and stable, novel amino acid mutations have occurred.
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