An outbreak of COVID-19 after a pilgrimage to Medjugorje due to Delta sub-lineages

Authors

  • Alessandra Lo Presti Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7611-5021
  • Salvatore Rubino Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3472-6702
  • Gabriele Ibba Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7376-3047
  • Luigina Ambrosio Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9063-3973
  • Angela Di Martino Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
  • Federica Ferraro Ministry of Health, Directorate-General for Health Prevention, Rome, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0196-8473
  • Alessia Rapiti Ministry of Health, Directorate-General for Health Prevention, Rome, Italy
  • Francesco Maraglino Ministry of Health, Directorate-General for Health Prevention, Rome, Italy
  • Emanuela Maria Frisicale Ministry of Health, Directorate-General for Health Prevention, Rome, Italy
  • Giovanni Rezza Ministry of Health, Directorate-General for Health Prevention, Rome, Italy
  • Flavia Angioj Microbiology and Virology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, Sassari, Italy https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8218-6106
  • Sergio Uzzau Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6246-2794
  • Maria Luciana Contini Servizio igiene e sanità pubblica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, Sassari, Italy
  • Stefania Manca Servizio igiene e sanità pubblica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, Sassari, Italy
  • Ferdinando Coghe Laboratorio Analisi Chimico Cliniche e Microbiologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
  • Germano Orrù Molecular Biology, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
  • Anna Teresa Palamara Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
  • Paola Stefanelli Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
  • the AOUSS COVID team The members of the AOUSS COVID Team are listed at the end of the article

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.18652

Keywords:

SARS-CoV-2, pilgrimage, Delta variant, phylogenetic analysis

Abstract

Introduction: A COVID-19 outbreak occurred at the end of October 2021 among pilgrims returning from Medjugorje (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Methodology: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of SARS-CoV-2, epidemiological data, and phylogenetic analysis were used to reconstruct outbreak dynamics.

Results: The results suggest that only in one case, associated with the SARS-CoV-2 sub-lineage AY.9.2, it is possible to trace back the place of contagion to Medjugorje, while the other cases were likely to be acquired in the country of origin.

Conclusions: The combined use of phylogenetic data derived from WGS, and epidemiological data allowed us to study epidemic dynamics and to formulate a possible hypothesis on the place of exposure to SARS-CoV-2. The identification of different sub-lineages of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant also suggested that different chains of transmission contributed to the outbreak.

Author Biography

the AOUSS COVID team, The members of the AOUSS COVID Team are listed at the end of the article

The AOUSS COVID team

Caterina Serra, Laura Firino, Bianca Paglietti, and Claudia Piu (Microbiology and Virology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, Sassari, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy); Rosalba Govoni, Vincenzo Lai, Erica Mura, Anna Puggioni and Giulia Rocca (Microbiology and Virology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, Sassari, Italy).

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Published

2024-03-31

How to Cite

1.
Lo Presti A, Rubino S, Ibba G, Ambrosio L, Di Martino A, Ferraro F, Rapiti A, Maraglino F, Frisicale EM, Rezza G, Angioj F, Uzzau S, Contini ML, Manca S, Coghe F, Orrù G, Palamara AT, Stefanelli P, the AOUSS COVID team (2024) An outbreak of COVID-19 after a pilgrimage to Medjugorje due to Delta sub-lineages. J Infect Dev Ctries 18:332–336. doi: 10.3855/jidc.18652

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 03: March 2024

Section

Coronavirus Pandemic

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Alessandra Lo Presti, Salvatore Rubino, Gabriele Ibba, Luigina Ambrosio, Angela Di Martino, Federica Ferraro, Alessia Rapiti, Francesco Maraglino, Emanuela Maria Frisicale, Giovanni Rezza, Flavia Angioj, Sergio Uzzau, Maria Luciana Contini, Stefania Manca, Ferdinando Coghe, Germano Orrù, Anna Teresa Palamara, Paola Stefanelli, the AOUSS COVID team

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Funding data

  • Fondazione di Sardegna
    Grant numbers Fondazione di Sardegna (2021), project title: "Controllo della diffusione di nuovi ceppi virali di SARS-CoV-2 (V.O.C.)
  • Università degli Studi di Sassari
    Grant numbers Grant FAR 2020 (Fondo di Ateneo per la Ricerca 2020), University of Sassari