Epidemiology, evolution and transmission of human metapneumovirus in Guangzhou China, 2013–2017

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV), first identified in 2001, is a major viral respiratory pathogen that worldwide reported. Fundamental questions concerning the dynamics of viral evolution and transmission at both regional and global scales remain unanswered. In this study, we obtained 32 G gene and 51 F gene sequences of hMPV in Guangzhou, China in 2013–2017. Temporal and spatial phylogenetic analyses were undertaken by incorporating publicly available hMPV G gene (978) and F gene (767) sequences. The phylogenetic results show different global distribution patterns of hMPV before 1990, 1990–2005, and 2006–2017. A sharply increasing hMPV positive rate (11%) was detected in Guangzhou 2017, mainly caused by the B1 lineage of hMPV. A close phylogenetic relation was observed between hMPV strains from China and Japan, suggesting frequent hMPV transmissions between these regions. These results provide new insights into hMPV evolution, transmission, and spatial distribution and highlight Asia as a new epicenter for viral transmission and novel variant seeding after the year 2005. Conducting molecular surveillance of hMPV in Asian countries is critical for understanding the global circulation of hMPV and future vaccine design.