Early Genomic Surveillance and Phylogeographic Analysis of Getah Virus, a Reemerging Arbovirus, in Livestock in China
Jin Zhao, Simon Dellicour, Ziqing Yan, Michael Veit, Mandev S. Gill, Wanting He, Xiaofeng Zhai, Xiang Ji, Marc A. Suchard, Philippe Lemey, Shuo Su
Abstract
Although livestock is known to be the primary reservoir of Getah virus (GETV) in Asian countries, where identification is largely based on serology, the evolutionary history and spatial epidemiology of GETV in these regions remain largely unknown. Through our sequencing efforts, we provided robust support for lineage delineation of GETV and identified three major lineages that are responsible for the current epidemic in livestock in China. We further analyzed genomic and epidemiological data to reconstruct the recent demographic and dispersal history of GETV in domestic animals in China and to explore the impact of environmental factors on its genetic diversity and its diffusion. Notably, except for livestock meat consumption, other pig-related factors such as the evolution of live pig transport and pork production do not show a significant association with the evolution of viral genetic diversity, pointing out that further studies should investigate the potential contribution of other host species to the GETV outbreak. Our analysis of GETV demonstrates the need for wider animal species surveillance and provides a baseline for future studies of the molecular epidemiology and early warning of emerging arboviruses in China.