Genetic- and Antigenic Evolution and Phylogeography of EV71 Associated with HFMD in Vietnam over a Three-Year Period 2013-2015 . (360G-Wellcome-101104_Z_13_Z)

EV71 has emerged in Asia as a frequent cause of HFMD. EV71-associated HFMD can be complicated by severe illness including fatal encephalitis. There is no antiviral therapy or vaccine. Understanding the genetic- and antigenic evolution of EV71 is important for understanding the epidemiology of this emerging infection and informing vaccine development, and knowledge of the transmission dynamics is critical to predicting the rate with which it will move through a population and the number of new in fections it will cause; crucial information for disease control. This Fellowship aims to investigate the evolution of EV71 in Vietnam over a three-year period (2013 2015). In collaboration with three hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, we will enroll ~5,000 patients from whom 600-900 EV71 whole-genome sequences will be obtained and analyzed alongside detailed spatial and temporal data. Genetic drift and recombination as well as subgenogroups circulation and/or replacement will be analyzed using whol e-genome and viral-protein 1 sequences. This work will feed into ongoing studies exploring the antigenic differences between these viruses. Geospatial- and sequence data will be used to examine the phylogeography of EV71.