Was Zika introduced to Brazil by participants at the 2013 Beach Soccer World Cup held in Tahiti: A phylogeographical analysis

Abstract

Background: Zika virus (ZIKV) was initially responsible for a limited number of punctual epidemics throughout Africa and Asia. Recently, large epidemics occurred in French Polynesia, Brazil and Pan-America. These outbreaks were associated with severe outcomes such as Guillain-Barré Syndrome and microcephaly of in-utero infected newborns. Previous studies demonstrated that ZIKV was introduced in Brazil from French Polynesia but failed to identify a founding event.

Method: All publicly available ZIKV full-genome sequences (n = 182) were phylogenetically analyzed, using Bayesian method, to estimate the introduction date of ZIKV into Brazil.

Results: Introduction date into Brazil was estimated between 8th of July 2013 and 4th of November 2013, encompassing the Beach Soccer World Cup held in French Polynesia, in September 2013, which gathered Brazilian athletes and supporters. We also observed that ZIKV sequences from travelers infected in South-East Asia or in Pacific islands were closely related to viruses identified prior to the French Polynesian epidemic, underlining an endemic circulation of ZIKV in those countries since 2007, at least.

Conclusion: This work provides a narrower estimation of ZIKV introduction into Brazil and illustrates the need for a better exploration of ZIKV circulation and endemicity in South-East Asia, while epidemiological and prevention efforts have been mainly focused on the Pan-American epidemic.

Keywords: Brazil; Evolution; French Polynesia; Phylogeny; Zika virus.