1. A large effective population size for within-host influenza virus infection
- Author
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Lu Zhao, Illingworth Cjr, Casper K Lumby, and Judy Breuer
- Subjects
0303 health sciences ,030306 microbiology ,Host (biology) ,Positive selection ,Biology ,Virology ,Virus ,03 medical and health sciences ,Data sequences ,Genetic drift ,Effective population size ,Viral evolution ,Selection (genetic algorithm) ,030304 developmental biology - Abstract
Strains of the influenza virus form coherent global populations, yet exist at the level of single infections in individual hosts. The relationship between these scales is a critical topic for understanding viral evolution. Here we investigate the within-host relationship between selection and the stochastic effects of genetic drift, estimating an effective population size of infection Nefor influenza infection. Examining whole-genome sequence data describing a chronic case of influenza B in a severely immunocompromised child we infer an Neof 2.5 × 107(95% confidence range 1.0 × 107to 9.0 × 107) suggesting the importance of genetic drift to be minimal. Our result, supported by the analysis of data from influenza A infection, suggests that positive selection during within-host infection is primarily limited by the typically short period of infection. Atypically long infections may have a disproportionate influence upon global patterns of viral evolution.
- Published
- 2020
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