Introductions and early spread of SARS-CoV-2 in France, 24 January to 23 March 2020

Fabiana Gámbaro (1) , Sylvie Behillil (2, 3) , Artem Baidaliuk (1) , Flora Donati (2, 3) , Mélanie Albert (2, 3) , Andreea Alexandru (4) , Maud Vanpeene (4) , Méline Bizard (4) , Angela Brisebarre (3, 2) , Marion Barbet (2, 3) , Fawzi Derrar (5) , Sylvie van Der Werf (2, 3) , Vincent Enouf (2, 3, 4) , Etienne Simon-Loriere (1)

1 Génomique évolutive des virus à ARN - Evolutionary genomics of RNA viruses
2 CNR - laboratoire coordonnateur - Centre National de Référence des virus des infections respiratoires (dont la grippe) - National Reference Center Virus Influenzae [Paris]
3 GMV-ARN (UMR_3569 / U-Pasteur_2) - Génétique Moléculaire des Virus à ARN - Molecular Genetics of RNA Viruses
4 P2M - Plateforme de Microbiologie Mutualisée (PIBnet) - Mutualized Platform for Microbiology
5 National Influenza Center, Viral Respiratory Laboratory [Alger]

Following SARS-CoV-2 emergence in China, a specific surveillance was implemented in France. Phylogenetic analysis of sequences retrieved through this surveillance suggests that detected initial introductions, involving non-clade G viruses, did not seed local transmission. Nevertheless, identification of clade G variants subsequently circulating in the country, with the earliest from a patient who neither travelled to risk areas nor had contact with travellers, suggests that SARS-CoV-2 might have been present before the first recorded local cases.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; outbreak surveillance; phylogeny; virus genomics

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Santé publique et épidémiologie

Fabiana Gámbaro, Sylvie Behillil, Artem Baidaliuk, Flora Donati, Mélanie Albert, et al.. Introductions and early spread of SARS-CoV-2 in France, 24 January to 23 March 2020. Eurosurveillance, 2020, 25 (26), ⟨10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.26.2001200⟩. ⟨pasteur-03139190⟩