The first familial cluster of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the northeast of Italy

Sara Lo Menzo; Serena Marinello; Matteo Biasin; Calogero Terregino; Elisa Franchin; Andrea Crisanti; Annamaria Cattelan

doi:10.1007/s15010-021-01609-6

The first familial cluster of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the northeast of Italy

Infection. 2021 Dec;49(6):1341-1345. doi: 10.1007/s15010-021-01609-6. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

Authors

Sara Lo Menzo¹, Serena Marinello², Matteo Biasin², Calogero Terregino³, Elisa Franchin⁴, Andrea Crisanti⁴, Annamaria Cattelan²

Affiliations

¹ Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria di Padova, Padua, Italy. [email protected].
² Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria di Padova, Padua, Italy.
³ Research and Development Department Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy.
⁴ Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.

Abstract

Purpose: We report on the first identified cluster of the B.1.1.7 variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in the northeast of Italy.

Methods: The cluster was recognized in January 2021 with an epidemiological started from the hospitalization of a 68-year-old man suffering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related pneumonia and we surprisingly found three families involved in the same cluster.

Results: We retrospectively rebuilt the pathway of infection and performed a virological analysis.

Conclusion: This allow us to make clear the very high attack rate and the great infective capacity of this B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: COVID-19; Sars-COV-2; UK variant.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Aged
COVID-19*
Humans
Italy / epidemiology
Male
Retrospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2*