Molecular epidemiology of Echovirus 30 in Belarus over the last 25 years

The article presents the results of the most complete molecular epidemiology study of one of the most epidemically significant enteroviruses (EV), both globally and in Belarus – Echovirus 30, including a description of its evolutionary trajectory and routes of geographic distribution. The purpose of the presented work was to study a molecular epidemiology of Echovirus 30 in the Republic of Belarus from 1997 to 2021. During the observation period, Echovirus 30 was the second most common type of EV after Coxsackievirus B5. The highest Echovirus 30 activity was registered at the time of enteroviral morbidity epidemic upsurge. Intestinal and neurological forms predominated in the spectrum of Echovirus 30 clinical presentation. We identified 10 different genetic variants of Echovirus 30 that circulated in Belarus, which were included in three global Echovirus 30 genotypes ‒ ECHO30_E, ECHO30_F and ECHO30_H. At the time of morbidity epidemic rises in 1997, 2013‒2014, and 2017‒2018 there was a parallel circulation of two different genetic variants of the virus belonging to the same (2013‒2014) or different (1997, 2017‒2018) genotypes. Simultaneously circulating genetic variants of Echovirus 30 had different evolutionary trajectory and/or routes of geographic distribution. The obtained results are important for understanding the epidemiological processes underlying the enteroviral morbidity in the Republic of Belarus.