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. 2022 May;40(5):262-265.
doi: 10.1016/j.eimc.2021.05.008. Epub 2021 Jun 3.

First importations of SARS-CoV-2 P.1 and P.2 variants from Brazil to Spain and early community transmission

Pedro J Sola Campoy  1   2 , Sergio Buenestado-Serrano  1   2 , Laura Pérez-Lago  1   2 , Cristina Rodriguez-Grande  1   2 , Pilar Catalán  1   2   3 , Cristina Andrés-Zayas  4 , Luis Alcalá  1   2   3 , Carmen Losada  1   2 , Carla Rico-Luna  1   2 , Patricia Muñoz  1   2   3   5 , Darío García de Viedma  1   2   3 ; Gregorio Marañón Microbiology-ID COVID 19 Study Group
Affiliations

First importations of SARS-CoV-2 P.1 and P.2 variants from Brazil to Spain and early community transmission

Pedro J Sola Campoy et al. Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin. 2022 May.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2variants of concern (VOC) have been described in the UK (B.1.1.7), South Africa (B.1.351) and Brazil (P.1). Among them, the most scarce information has been obtained from the P.1 variant and more data on its global presence and about its spreading dynamics are needed.

Methods: Whole genome sequencing was performed prospectively on travellers arriving from Brazil and on a random selection of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases from our population.

Results: In this study we report the first SARS-CoV-2 P.1 and P.2 variants exported from Brazil to Spain. The case infected with the P.1 variant, who had only stayed in Rio de Janeiro, required hospitalisation. The two P.2 cases remained asymptomatic. A wider distribution for P.1 variant beyond the Brazilian Amazonia should be considered. The exportation of the P.2 variant, carrying the E484K mutation, deserves attention. One month after the first description of P.1 and P.2 importations from Brazil to Madrid, these variants were identified circulating in the community, in cases without a travel history, and involved in household transmissions.

Conclusion: Whole genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 positive travellers arriving from Brazil allowed us to identify the first importations of P.1 and P.2 variants to Spain and their early community transmission.

Introducción: Se han descrito «variantes de preocupación» (VOC) de SARS-CoV-2 en el Reino Unido (B.1.1.7), Sudáfrica (B.1.351) y Brasil (P.1). Entre ellas, se dispone de información más escasa para la variante P.1 y se necesitan más datos sobre su presencia global y sobre su dinámica de expansión.

Métodos: Se realizó secuenciación del genoma completo de forma prospectiva de SARS-CoV-2 en viajeros procedentes de Brasil y en una selección aleatoria de casos positivos de SARS-CoV-2 de nuestra población.

Resultados: En este estudio reportamos las primeras variantes de SARS-CoV-2 P.1 y P.2 exportadas desde Brasil a España. El caso infectado por la variante P.1, que solo había permanecido en Río de Janeiro, requirió hospitalización. Los 2 casos de la variante P.2 permanecieron asintomáticos. Se debe considerar una distribución más amplia para la variante P.1 más allá de la Amazonía brasileña. La exportación de la variante P.2, que porta la mutación E484K, merece asimismo atención adicional. Un mes después de la primera descripción de las importaciones de P.1 y P.2 de Brasil a Madrid, se identificaron estas variantes circulando en la comunidad, en casos sin antecedentes de viaje, e implicadas en transmisiones domiciliarias.

Conclusión: La secuenciación de genoma completo de viajeros positivos para SARS-CoV-2 procedentes de Brasil nos permitió identificar las primeras importaciones de variantes P.1 y P.2 a España y su transmisión comunitaria precoz.

Keywords: COVID-19; Importation; P1; P2; SARS-CoV-2; Travellers.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Phylogenetic relationship of SARS-CoV-2 based on the alignment of all P.1 (panel A) and P.2 sequences (panel B) from Brazil (completed (>29 000 bp) with high coverage (<1% Ns)) deposited in GISAID up to March 15, 2021 (714 and 477 samples respectively). Maximum likelihood unrooted tree displaying the genetic distance between all samples collected and the new presented in this study, colored by their lineage, was performed by a multi-alignment with mafft and IQ-TREE GTR +F + R2 mode with 1000 bootstrap replications. Reference for our sequences in GIDAID are: EPI_ISL_985404 (P.1), EPI_ISL_985408 (P.2), EPI_ISL_985409 (P.2), EPI_ISL_1233413 (P.2), EPI_ISL_1381872 (P.1), EPI_ISL_1477061 (P.1) and EPI_ISL_1647839 (P.2).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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