Features of adenovirus circulation in the territory of the Republic of Belarus and their dominant genotypes

This paper presents the results of studies of the features of adenovirus (AdV) circulation in the Republic  of Belarus.

A total of 1,218 wastewater samples and 2,383 samples of biological material from patients with various clinical forms were analyzed. This included 1,579 samples from patients with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and 804 samples from hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) recipients who experienced post-transplant complications. All samples were collected monthly throughout 2020–2022.

AdV DNA was detected in 297 (24.38 %) wastewater samples. The quantitative levels of adenoviral DNA ranged from 10³ to 10¹¹ GE/sample, indicating a high level of AdV circulation within the population.

AdV DNA (AdV F species) was detected in 85 (5.38 %) patients with AGE across all age groups. Among children aged 6–17 years, the frequency of AdV F detection reached 12 %. An analysis of the seasonal patterns showed that the frequency of AdV DNA detection in both biological material and wastewater increased from July to December, followed by a decrease from January to May.

As part of a study of the impact of adenovirus infection on the development of post-transplant complications in recipients of organs and cells, AdV DNA was detected in 13.92 % of HSC recipients. Of these patients, 54 % exhibited viremia,  15 % demonstrated persistent adenovirus infection, and 12 % exhibited multi-organ localization of the infectious process.

The molecular typing of 38 AdV isolates revealed the following genotypes detected in wastewater: HAdV1, HAdV2, HAdV3, HAdV12, HAdV40, and HAdV41. In patients with AGE, genotypes HAdV40 and HAdV41 were identified. In HSCT recipients, HAdV5 was found.

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