Genomic diversity of human adenoviruses in Tanzanian children under five: Insights into F40, F41, B, and rare A18 genotypes

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) are important pathogens that are associated with a wide array of clinical diseases, particularly in the pediatric population. Despite numerous reports of HAdV infections in Tanzania, there are currently no whole genome sequences from this region available in global public databases. This gap presents challenges to our efforts to understand their dissemination and evolution over time. This study employed nanopore-based metagenomic sequencing to detect and sequence the whole genomes of HAdV strains in Tanzanian infants with diarrhea. We present the first whole genome of HAdV-A18 from Africa, representing only the third worldwide. Additionally, it includes the first complete genomes of HAdV-F40, HAdV-F41, and HAdV-B3 obtained from Tanzania. In addition, this study provides information on the enteric adenovirus lineages circulating in Tanzania. These findings provide crucial genomic insights into the diversity of viruses in sub-Saharan Africa and underscore the importance of genomic surveillance to deepen our understanding of adenovirus transmission and evolution.