Unveiling the Impact of the Omicron Variant: Insights from Genomic Surveillance in Mato Grosso do Sul, Midwest Brazil
2023
Lívia de Mello Almeida Maziero | Marta Giovanetti | Vagner Fonseca | Marina Castilhos Souza Umaki Zardin | Gislene Garcia de Castro Lichs | Grazielli Rocha de Rezende Romera | Daniel Henrique Tsuha | Danila Fernanda Rodrigues Frias | Valdir Castanho Escandolhero | Luiz Henrique Demarchi | Larissa Domingues Castilho | Karine Ferreira Barbosa | Danielle Galindo Martins Tebet | Joilson Xavier | Hegger Fritsch | Mauricio Lima | Carla de Oliveira | Elaine Vieira Santos | Simone Kashima | Rodrigo Fabiano do Carmo Said | Alexander Rosewell | Julio Croda | Luiz Carlos Junior Alcantara | Crhistinne Cavalheiro Maymone Gonçalves
Genomic surveillance has emerged as a crucial tool in monitoring and understanding the dynamics of viral variants during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Midwest region of Brazil, Mato Grosso do Sul has faced a significant burden from the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, with a total of 613,000 confirmed cases as of June 2023. In collaboration with the Central Public Health Laboratory in the capital city of Campo Grande, we conducted a portable whole-genome sequencing and phylodynamic analysis to investigate the circulation of the Omicron variant in the region. The study aimed to uncover the genomic landscape and provide valuable insights into the prevalence and transmission patterns of this highly transmissible variant. Our findings revealed an increase in the number of cases within the region during 2022, followed by a gradual decline as a result of the successful impact of the vaccination program together with the capacity of this unpredictable and very transmissible variant to quickly affect the proportion of susceptible population. Genomic data indicated multiple introduction events, suggesting that human mobility played a differential role in the variant’s dispersion dynamics throughout the state. These findings emphasize the significance of implementing public health interventions to mitigate further spread and highlight the powerful role of genomic monitoring in promptly tracking and uncovering the circulation of viral strains. Together those results underscore the importance of proactive surveillance, rapid genomic sequencing, and data sharing to facilitate timely public health responses.
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