Transmission networks of SARS-CoV-2 in Coastal Kenya during the first two waves: a retrospective genomic study
- Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kenya
- University of Leuven, Belgium
- Ministry of Health, Kenya
- Uganda Virus Research Institute, Uganda
Abstract
Background: Detailed understanding on SARS-CoV-2 regional transmission networks within sub-Saharan Africa is key for guiding local public health interventions against the pandemic.
Methods: Here, we analysed 1,139 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from positive samples collected between March 2020 and February 2021 across six counties of Coastal Kenya (Mombasa, Kilifi, Taita Taveta, Kwale, Tana River and Lamu) to infer virus introductions and local transmission patterns during the first two waves of infections. Virus importations were inferred using ancestral state reconstruction and virus dispersal between counties were estimated using discrete phylogeographic analysis.
Results: During Wave 1, 23 distinct Pango lineages were detected across the six counties, while during Wave 2, 29 lineages were detected; nine of which occurred in both waves, and four seemed to be Kenya specific (B.1.530, B.1.549, B.1.596.1 and N.8). Most of the sequenced infections belonged to lineage B.1 (n=723, 63%) which predominated in both Wave 1 (73%, followed by lineages N.8 (6%) and B.1.1 (6%)) and Wave 2 (56%, followed by lineages B.1.549 (21%) and B.1.530 (5%). Over the study period, we estimated 280 SARS-CoV-2 virus importations into Coastal Kenya. Mombasa City, a vital tourist and commercial centre for the region, was a major route for virus imports, most of which occurred during Wave 1, when many COVID-19 government restrictions were still in force. In Wave 2, inter-county transmission predominated, resulting in the emergence of local transmission chains and diversity.
Conclusions: Our analysis supports moving COVID-19 control strategies in the region from a focus on international travel to strategies that will reduce local transmission.
Funding: This work was funded by The Wellcome (grant numbers; 220985, 203077/Z/16/Z, and 222574/Z/21/Z) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), project references: 17/63/and 16/136/33 using UK aid from the UK Government to support global health research, The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Data availability
1) Sequence data have been deposited in GISAID database under accession numbers provided in Supplement File 22) Source Data files have been provided for Figures 1-2 and 4-10.3) Source Code associated with the figures has been uploaded (Source Code File 1) and also been made available through Harvard Dataverse
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Replication Data for: Genomic surveillance reveals the spread patterns of SARS-CoV-2 in coastal Kenya during the first two wavesHarvard Dataverse, V3, UNF:6:RL6Vg7q0JyS7YoCkjhHe1A== [fileUNF].
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Genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in coastal Kenya (March - July 2020)Github; sars-cov-2-early-phase-manuscript.
Article and author information
Author details
Donwilliams O Omuoyo
Funding
National Institute for Health Research (17/63/82)
- D James Nokes
National Institute for Health Research (16/136/33)
- Charles N Agoti
- Samson Kinyanjui
- George Warimwe
- D James Nokes
- George Githinji
Wellcome Trust (220985)
- D James Nokes
- George Githinji
Wellcome Trust (203077/Z/16/Z)
- Edwine Barasa
- Benjamin Tsofa
- Philip Bejon
Wellcome Trust (220977/Z/20/Z)
- My Phan
- Matthew Cotten
Medical Research Council (NC_PC_19060)
- My Phan
- Matthew Cotten
H2020 European Research Council (n{degree sign}874850)
- Simon Dellicour
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Reviewing Editor
- Mary Kate Grabowski, Johns Hopkins University, United States
Ethics
Human subjects: Samples analysed here were collected under the Ministry of Health protocols as part of the national COVID-19 public health response. The whole genome sequencing study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Scientific and Ethics Review Committee (SERU) at Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Nairobi, Kenya (SERU protocol #4035). Individual patient consent was not required by the committee for the use of these samples for studies of genomic epidemiology to inform public health response.
Version history
- Received: June 27, 2021
- Preprint posted: July 7, 2021 (view preprint)
- Accepted: June 10, 2022
- Accepted Manuscript published: June 14, 2022 (version 1)
- Version of Record published: July 14, 2022 (version 2)
Copyright
© 2022, Agoti et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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Transmission networks of SARS-CoV-2 in Coastal Kenya during the first two waves: a retrospective genomic study
eLife 11:e71703.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.71703
Further reading
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- Epidemiology and Global Health
Background:
The Zanzibar archipelago of Tanzania has become a low-transmission area for Plasmodium falciparum. Despite being considered an area of pre-elimination for years, achieving elimination has been difficult, likely due to a combination of imported infections from mainland Tanzania and continued local transmission.
Methods:
To shed light on these sources of transmission, we applied highly multiplexed genotyping utilizing molecular inversion probes to characterize the genetic relatedness of 282 P. falciparum isolates collected across Zanzibar and in Bagamoyo district on the coastal mainland from 2016 to 2018.
Results:
Overall, parasite populations on the coastal mainland and Zanzibar archipelago remain highly related. However, parasite isolates from Zanzibar exhibit population microstructure due to the rapid decay of parasite relatedness over very short distances. This, along with highly related pairs within shehias, suggests ongoing low-level local transmission. We also identified highly related parasites across shehias that reflect human mobility on the main island of Unguja and identified a cluster of highly related parasites, suggestive of an outbreak, in the Micheweni district on Pemba island. Parasites in asymptomatic infections demonstrated higher complexity of infection than those in symptomatic infections, but have similar core genomes.
Conclusions:
Our data support importation as a main source of genetic diversity and contribution to the parasite population in Zanzibar, but they also show local outbreak clusters where targeted interventions are essential to block local transmission. These results highlight the need for preventive measures against imported malaria and enhanced control measures in areas that remain receptive to malaria reemergence due to susceptible hosts and competent vectors.
Funding:
This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, grants R01AI121558, R01AI137395, R01AI155730, F30AI143172, and K24AI134990. Funding was also contributed from the Swedish Research Council, Erling-Persson Family Foundation, and the Yang Fund. RV acknowledges funding from the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis (reference MR/R015600/1), jointly funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), under the MRC/FCDO Concordat agreement and is also part of the EDCTP2 program supported by the European Union. RV also acknowledges funding by Community Jameel.
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- Epidemiology and Global Health
- Microbiology and Infectious Disease
Background: Few national-level studies have evaluated the impact of 'hybrid' immunity (vaccination coupled with recovery from infection) from the Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Methods: From May 2020 to December 2022, we conducted serial assessments (each of ~4000-9000 adults) examining SARS-CoV-2 antibodies within a mostly representative Canadian cohort drawn from a national online polling platform. Adults, most of whom were vaccinated, reported viral test-confirmed infections and mailed self-collected dried blood spots to a central lab. Samples underwent highly sensitive and specific antibody assays to spike and nucleocapsid protein antigens, the latter triggered only by infection. We estimated cumulative SARS-CoV-2 incidence prior to the Omicron period and during the BA.1/1.1 and BA.2/5 waves. We assessed changes in antibody levels and in age-specific active immunity levels.
Results: Spike levels were higher in infected than in uninfected adults, regardless of vaccination doses. Among adults vaccinated at least thrice and infected more than six months earlier, spike levels fell notably and continuously for the nine months post-vaccination. By contrast, among adults infected within six months, spike levels declined gradually. Declines were similar by sex, age group, and ethnicity. Recent vaccination attenuated declines in spike levels from older infections. In a convenience sample, spike antibody and cellular responses were correlated. Near the end of 2022, about 35% of adults above age 60 had their last vaccine dose more than six months ago, and about 25% remained uninfected. The cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection rose from 13% (95% CI 11-14%) before omicron to 78% (76-80%) by December 2022, equating to 25 million infected adults cumulatively. However, the COVID-19 weekly death rate during the BA.2/5 waves was less than half of that during the BA.1/1.1 wave, implying a protective role for hybrid immunity.
Conclusions: Strategies to maintain population-level hybrid immunity require up-to-date vaccination coverage, including among those recovering from infection. Population-based, self-collected dried blood spots are a practicable biological surveillance platform.
Funding: Funding was provided by the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Pfizer Global Medical Grants, and St. Michael's Hospital Foundation. PJ and ACG are funded by the Canada Research Chairs Program.
