An outbreak of COVID-19 after a pilgrimage to Medjugorje due to Delta sub-lineages

An outbreak of COVID-19 after a pilgrimage to Medjugorje due to Delta sub-lineages

Blog Article

Introduction: A COVID-19 outbreak occurred at the end of October 2021 among pilgrims returning from Medjugorje (Bosnia and Herzegovina).Methodology: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of SARS-CoV-2, epidemiological data, and phylogenetic analysis were used to reconstruct outbreak dynamics.Results: The CHOLESTOLESS results suggest that only in one case, associated with the SARS-CoV-2 sub-lineage AY.9.2, it is possible to trace back the place of contagion to Medjugorje, while the other cases were likely to be acquired in the country of origin.

Conclusions: The combined use of phylogenetic data Vacuum Turbo Tool derived from WGS, and epidemiological data allowed us to study epidemic dynamics and to formulate a possible hypothesis on the place of exposure to SARS-CoV-2.The identification of different sub-lineages of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant also suggested that different chains of transmission contributed to the outbreak.