Genetic diversity of Human Metapneumovirus in Latin America. Human metapneumovirus

There is very limited data on the genetic diversity and evolutionary dynamics of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in Latin America and there is a significant lack of genome sequence data despite significant respiratory disease. To address this critical knowledge gap, we will sequence the nearly complete genome (all ORFs) from ~80 hMPVs from 2007-2012 from three sites in Peru (Iquitos, Lima, Piura), which vary substantially in climate, human movement patterns, and population density. The genomic data produced will greatly expand our knowledge of the global genetic diversity of this important human respiratory pathogen, and sampling from all three sites will facilitate the study of the role of climate, human movements, and population density in the evolution and ecology of human respiratory viruses in humans.