Haplotype networks of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the <i>Diamond Princess</i> cruise ship outbreak.

Sekizuka, Tsuyoshi; Itokawa, Kentaro; Kageyama, Tsutomu; Saito, Shinji; Takayama, Ikuyo; Asanuma, Hideki; Nao, Naganori; Tanaka, Rina et al. · Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · 2020

other · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

The <i>Diamond Princess</i> cruise ship was put under quarantine offshore Yokohama, Japan, after a passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong was confirmed as a coronavirus disease 2019 case. We performed whole-genome sequencing of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) directly from PCR<sup>+</sup> clinical specimens and conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the outbreak. All tested isolates exhibited a transversion at G<sub>11083</sub>T, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 dissemination on the <i>Diamond Princess</i> originated from a single introduction event before the quarantine started. Although further spreading might have been prevented by quarantine, some progeny clusters could be linked to transmission through mass-gathering events in the recreational areas and direct transmission among passengers who shared cabins during the quarantine. This study demonstrates the usefulness of haplotype network/phylogeny analysis in identifying potential infection routes.

Medical subject headings