Arachchige Nipuni, Dharmasiri Ramesha, Weerathunga Achini, Senanayake Shehan, Janage Nadeeka, Muthugala Rohitha
Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Research Institute, Colombo 00800, Western, Sri Lanka.
Department of Virology, Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals Foundation Trust, Chertsey KT16, United Kingdom.
World J Virol. 2025 Jun 25;14(2):106108. doi: 10.5501/wjv.v14.i2.106108.
The emergence of the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) raised global concerns with its highly transmissible nature.
To investigate the genomic, clinical, and demographic characteristics of Omicron infections within the early outbreak cluster in western part of Sri Lanka.
We analyzed sequence data from January 2022 to April 2022 to understand variant dynamics, clinical presentation, and demographic associations.
Whole-genome sequencing of 85 nasopharyngeal and throat swab samples collected in western part of Sri Lanka between January and April 2022 identified 70 (82.34%) of it as Omicron variants. BA.2 was the most prevalent sub-lineage (57%), followed by BA.1.1 (14.20%) and majority of them were from > 12 years old individuals. Phylogenetic analysis revealed clustering into four distinct clades (21I, 21K, 21L, and 21M), suggesting potential differences in transmission chains or evolutionary pressures.
This study found BA.2 to be the predominant Omicron sub-lineage in the western part of Sri Lanka during the first quarter of 2022, aligning with global trends. Phylogenetic analysis revealed diverse introductions and local transmission. Continued genomic surveillance and robust public health measures remain crucial for managing the evolving SARS-CoV-2 landscape.
严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）奥密克戎变种（B.1.1.529）的出现因其高传播性引发了全球关注。
调查斯里兰卡西部早期疫情聚集区内奥密克戎感染的基因组、临床和人口统计学特征。
我们分析了2022年1月至2022年4月的序列数据，以了解变种动态、临床表现和人口统计学关联。
对2022年1月至4月在斯里兰卡西部采集的85份鼻咽和咽喉拭子样本进行全基因组测序，确定其中70份（82.34%）为奥密克戎变种。BA.2是最常见的亚谱系（57%），其次是BA.1.1（14.20%），且大多数来自12岁以上个体。系统发育分析显示分为四个不同的进化枝（21I、21K、21L和21M），表明传播链或进化压力可能存在差异。
本研究发现BA.2是2022年第一季度斯里兰卡西部主要的奥密克戎亚谱系，与全球趋势一致。系统发育分析揭示了多种引入和本地传播情况。持续的基因组监测和强有力的公共卫生措施对于应对不断演变的SARS-CoV-2形势仍然至关重要。
