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Comparative Study
. 2025 Jul 29;26(1):52.
doi: 10.1186/s12863-025-01343-0.

Genomic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of respiratory syncytial virus F gene in Sri Lanka: a comparative study

Thejanee Perera  1 , Ishani De Silva  2 , Pavithri Bandara  3 , Asanka Bowatte  4 , Dinithi Rathnayake  4 , Shanika Perera  4 , Saranga Sumathipala  4 , Rohitha Muthugala  5   6
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Genomic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of respiratory syncytial virus F gene in Sri Lanka: a comparative study

Thejanee Perera et al. BMC Genom Data. .

Abstract

Background: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a major cause of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) worldwide, with seasonal outbreaks often influenced by climatic factors. This study investigates the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of RSV strains circulated in Sri Lanka between 2022 December and 2024 February.

Results: Subtyping of 12 RSV-positive samples identified both RSV A and B, with full-length F gene sequences obtained for four samples. Phylogenetic analysis revealed clustering with globally circulating strains. Mutation profiling highlighted key amino acid substitutions, including a rare mutation of N116D in the F protein, which may have functional implications. The limited sample size necessitates further studies with broader geographic coverage for more robust conclusions.

Conclusion: This study provides insights into the genetic diversity of RSV F gene in Sri Lanka.

Keywords: Public health; Respiratory syncytial viruses; Respiratory tract infections; Sri Lanka.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study adhered to all ethical guidelines and regulations related to human research, with ethical approval obtained from the Medical Research Institute (ERC/06/2025), Sri Lanka. This study was conducted adherence to Declaration of Helsinki on research conducted on human samples and data. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Consent from individual patients were waivered by ERC based on retrospective nature of the study and no patient identification data was utilized in this study. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Geographic distribution of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) sample collection sites in Sri Lanka (2022–2024). The basemap was sourced from the OpenStreetMap (https://www.openstreetmap.org/) licensed under the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Illustration of the Bayesian phylogenetic tree based on the RSV F gene sequences. Reference sequences are shown in red. Sequences from Colombo, Sri Lanka, are indicated in purple, while the sequence from Kandy, Sri Lanka, is shown in pink
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Mutational landscape of the RSV F gene in Sri Lankan strains. A Linear schematic of the RSV F protein showing functional domains and mutation sites detected in this study. Red flags mark positions where amico acid substitutions occurred. B Table summarizing nucleotide and amino acid changes at selected codon positions across the four sequenced RSV samples. Reference sequences are hRSV/A/England/397/2017 for RSV A and hRSV/B/Australia/VIC-RCH056/2019 for RSV B
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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