COMPARISON OF SEQUENCING AND PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF SARS-COV-2 SPIKE PROTEINS EXTRACTED FROM PATIENTS AND TRAVELERS IN DUHOK-IRAQ

Abstract

Background: ARS-CoV-2, which belongs to a broad family of Coronaviruses and is a single-stranded RNA virus, is of great importance in terms of its impact on human health. This virus is responsible for causing severe acute respiratory syndrome and was initially identified as being capable of transmitting from person to person on November 17, 2019. Objectives: The aim is to study the genetic lineage, patterns of mutations, different variations, and subtypes of the SARS-CoV-2 virus found in the population of Duhok Governorate, and to compare them with viruses discovered in people who have entered from Turkey to identify the epidemiological patterns and track their transmission routes. Methods: 700 residents of Duhok and 700 travelers from Turkey who crossed the border to Duhok-Iraq were asked about their demographic information and symptoms related to respiratory tract infections and underwent nasopharyngeal swabs. Participants who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 or had a previous infection were excluded. The samples were then subjected to RT-PCR, and 30 positive samples with the highest viral load (lowest Ct values) were selected for complete sequencing of the S gene using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Sequencing results: were submitted to GISAID, and accession numbers were obtained. A phylogenetic tree was constructed the study utilized sequences obtained from both Iraqi and non-Iraqi variants from GISAID to provide a description and observation of the genetic and epigenetic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 in Iraq. The results highlighted the influence of travel in introducing new variants to the country, including those carrying mutations in the S1 domain of the spike protein, which could potentially enhance viral attachment to receptors