B型流感病毒Yamagata系和Victoria系双重荧光PCR诊断方法的建立与应用

目的 建立一种新型的双重荧光PCR诊断方法,用于B型流感病毒By (B/Yamagata)和Bv(B/Victoria)亚系的准确分子分型.方法 从GenBank随机下载By和By HA(hemagglutinin)基因各50条序列,通过MEGA分析,利用Primer Primer软件设计亚系特异性引物和通用探针,建立双重荧光PCR诊断方法.用HAI(hemagglutination inhibition)实验确认的B型流感病毒亚系分离毒株和A型流感病毒进行特异性验证,用体外转录核酸拷贝数进行灵敏度实验.结果 2006-2010流感监测年份,对17 765份流感样病例咽拭标本中分离到B型流感病毒793株,本方法鉴定有152株By和641株Bv病毒,与HAI鉴定结果一致.本诊断方法的检测特异性达100％,灵敏度达102拷贝/μl,重复性变异系数＜3.5％.结论 本研究所建立的荧光PCR方法为流感实时监测提供了有力的技术支撑,适合于流感监测实验室对流感病毒的快速分子诊断.     

1990～2000年间我国乙型流感病毒HA1基因演变的特征

目的 了解1990—2000年间我国乙型流感病毒HA1基因的演变特征。方法 提取病毒RNA，经逆转录和聚合酶链式反应扩增后测序，测定的序列和Gen bank中已有的相关序列进行比较。结果 ①我国乙型流感病毒在此期间一直存在两个差别较大的谱系，除1994年和1997年Victoria谱系为主外，其余各年均以Yamagata谱系为主；②1992年以后Yamagata谱系又分化出两个组，彼此间氨基酸序列差异达6％；③1990—2000年间非回复突变的、大的变异株引导乙型流感的流行；④除了个别毒株之外，同一年份我国不同地区流行的属于同一谱系的乙型毒株HA1基因序列差别不大。结论 我国乙型流感病毒1990—2000年间一直存在两个差别较大的谱系，其中Yamagata谱系在此期间又分化出两个组，谱系的更换和同一谱系内出现大的变异株具有重要的流行病学意义。     

1994-2006年深圳市分离的B型流感病毒分子进化研究

目的 通过对深圳市分离的B型流感病毒HA1分子系统进化分析,初步了解深圳市B型流感病毒的流行变异规律.方法 选取深圳市1994-2006共13年间分离的50株B型流感毒株,通过RT-PCR将其HA1基因片段扩增后进行序列解析,然后,通过MEGA等软件对序列进行分子进化分析.结果 1994-2006年间深圳市流行的B型流感病毒分为Yamagata和Victoria两个亚系,两系的毒株分别是不同年份的主要流行株.两个亚系的HA1分子具有1个糖基化位点的差异,在4个抗原决定簇区域也分布有多个氨基酸位点的变异.结论 1994-2006年间深圳市B型流感病毒的两个亚系分别在不同年份主导流行,但变异均比较缓慢.

Abstract：

Objective To study the prevalence and variation of influenza B viruses of Shenzhen. Methods Fifty strains influenza B viruses in Shenzhen from 1994 to 2006 were selected. HA1 gene were amplified by RT-PCR and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of HA1 was conducted by MEGA program. Results The influenza B viruses of Shenzhen were divided into Yamagata and Victoria lineage. The two lineages prevailed respectively in different years from 1994 to 2006. The variance of glycosylation site and some mutations of antigenic determinants were detected in the two lineages. Conclusion The viruses of Yamagata and Victoria lineage prevailed respectively in different years in Shenzhen but the mutation rates of the two lineages were slowly.     

Increasing appearance of reassortant influenza B virus in Taiwan from 2002 to 2005

Genetic and antigenic analyses of influenza B virus field strains isolated in Taiwan from 1998 to 2005 were performed. To investigate the molecular evolution of influenza B viruses, sequence analysis of the hemagglutinin (HA1 subunit) and neuraminidase genes was performed. All influenza B viruses isolated between 1998 and 2000 belonged to the B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage. The B/Victoria/2/87 lineage, which was cocirculating with the Yamagata lineage, was identified in Taiwan in March 2001. Concurrently, there was an increasing prevalence of this lineage in many parts of the world, including North America and Europe, during the 2001-2002 season. Since 2002, genetic reassortants of influenza B virus with the Victoria lineage of hemagglutinin and the Yamagata lineage of neuraminidase have been found at a rate of 46%. Therefore, in 2002, at least three sublineages of influenza B virus strains, the B/Shanghai/361/2002-like strain (Yamagata lineage), the B/Hong Kong/330/01-like strain (Victoria lineage), and the B/Hong Kong/1351/02-like strain (B reassortant lineage), were identified in Taiwan. The results showed that genetically distinct lineages can cocirculate in the population and that the reassortment among these strains plays a role in generating the genetic diversity of influenza B viruses. Interestingly, from January to April 2005, B reassortant viruses became dominant (73%) in Taiwan, which indicated that a mismatch had occurred between the influenza B vaccine strain recommended for the 2004-2005 season in the Northern hemisphere by the World Health Organization and the epidemic strain.     

Genetic diversity of influenza B virus: the frequent reassortment and cocirculation of the genetically distinct reassortant viruses in a community

To characterize the genetic diversity of influenza B viruses isolated during one influenza season, the antigenic and genetic relationships among 20 strains of influenza B virus isolated in February and March 2001 at one pediatric clinic in Yamagata City, Japan, were investigated. The HA gene and seven other gene segments were phylogenetically divided into three distinct sublineages (Harbin/7/94-, Tokyo/6/98-, and Shiga/T30/98-related lineage) of the Yamagata/16/88-like lineage. The NS genes of the viruses belonging to the Harbin/7/94-related lineage have additional three nucleotides at positions 439-447, and were phylogenetically distinguishable from those of the currently circulating Yamagata/16/88- and Victoria/2/87-like lineages, but were closely related to that of the Yamagata/16/88-like lineage isolated before 1994. Moreover, four strains of influenza B virus isolated in the same community between 2002 and 2003 were further examined. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that a virus of Victoria/2/87-like lineage isolated in 2003 had acquired the NA, NS, M, and PA gene segments from a Shiga/T30/98-like virus, and two strains of Harbin/7/94-related lineage had acquired the various gene segments from Shiga/T30/98-like virus through a reassortment event. These results indicate that genetically distinct multiple viruses can combine to cause an influenza B epidemic in a community and that the frequent reassortment among these viruses plays a role in generating the genetic diversity of influenza B viruses.     

Clinical and genetic characterization of severe influenza B-associated diseases during an outbreak in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Mismatches between circulating and vaccine strains of influenza virus had been observed in Taiwan. A comprehensive clinical and genetic analysis of influenza B viruses-associated important diseases was lacking. OBJECTIVES: Clinical and phylogenetic analysis of influenza B viruses during an outbreak in Taiwan. STUDY DESIGNS: Clinical manifestations of hospitalized, culture-confirmed patients were analyzed from July 2004 to June 2005. Partial genome sequence analysis of hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), and nonstructural (NS) genes were performed in 54 influenza B isolates during the study period, and nine srandomly chosen isolates during 2000 and 2003. RESULTS: Three specific diseases were found in these patients, including 13 of encephalitis/encephalopathy, 28 of influenza-associated myositis (IAM), and one of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Three phylogenetic groups were identified, including reassortant strains-group 1 (Victoria lineage of HA, Yamagata lineage of NA, clade A of NS), group 2 (Yamagata lineage of HA, Yamagata lineage of NA, clade A of NS), and group 3 (Yamagata lineage of HA, Yamagata lineage of NA, clade B of NS). CONCLUSIONS: Severe influenza B-associated disease in children was not rare and might be fatal. We offered the evidence of co-circulation of the two HA lineages in the same outbreak.     

Evolutionary characteristics of influenza B virus since its first isolation in 1940: dynamic circulation of deletion and insertion mechanism

Summary.  New antigenic variants of B/Yamagata/16/88-like lineage which appeared in the season of 1997 as a minor strain tended to predominate in the following season. Also, we could observe for the first time, three peaks of activity caused by H3N2 virus and two variants of B influenza virus. Antigenic and phylogenetic analyses revealed that B/Victoria/2/87-like variants appeared again in Japan in 1997 after a nine-year absence. Influenza B viruses evolved into three major lineages, including the earliest strain (I), B/Yamagata/16/88-like variants (II), which comprised of three sublineages (II-(i), II-(ii), II-(iii)), and B/Victoria/2/87-like variants (III). Evolution of influenza B virus hemagglutinin was apparently distinguishable from that of influenza A virus, showing a systematic mechanism of nucleotide deletion and insertion. This phenomenon was observed to be closely related to evolutionary pathways of I, II-(i), II-(ii), II-(iii) and III lineages. It was noteworthy to reveal that the nucleotide deletion and insertion mechanism of influenza B virus completed one cycle over a fifty-year period, and that a three nucleotide deletion was again observed in 1997 strains belonging to lineage II-( iii). It was evident that amino acid substitutions accompanying nucleotide insertions were highly conserved. Received December 4, 1997 Accepted March 10, 1998     

Molecular characterization of influenza B viruses circulating in northern Italy during the 2001-2002 epidemic season

During the 2001-2002 influenza season, virological surveillance highlighted the predominant circulation of B viruses (86% of isolates) in Italy, in contrast to many other countries in Europe and North America where AH3N2 viruses were isolated most frequently, and in contrast to the infrequent isolation of B viruses in Italy during the previous two years. Associated with this predominance of influenza B was the re-emergence of B/Victoria/2/87-lineage viruses, closely related to B viruses prevalent during the 1980s, which are distinct antigenically and genetically from circulating B/Sichuan/379/99-like viruses of the B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage, which predominated in most parts of the world during the last 10 years. Ninety-four viruses isolated in two regions of northern Italy were characterized, 50 by direct sequencing of haemagglutinin (HA). Viruses of both Victoria and Yamagata lineages co-circulated throughout the 12 weeks of the influenza season. The HAs of the Yamagata-lineage viruses were heterogeneous and comprised two sublineages, represented by B/Sichuan/379/99 and B/Harbin/7/94, whereas the Victoria-lineage viruses were more homogeneous and closely related to B/Hong Kong/330/01, the current prototype vaccine strain. The antigenic and genetic characteristics of the viruses correlated with certain epidemiological features. In particular, the low age (<14 years) of individuals infected with B/Hong Kong/330/01-like viruses is likely to reflect the greater susceptibility of the youngest cohort, due to lack of previous exposure to Victoria-lineage viruses, and is consistent with the conclusion that vaccination with a B/Sichuan/379/99-like virus would give poor protection against infection with B/Hong Kong/330/01-like (Victoria-lineage) viruses.     

Standardization of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) for discrimination of Victoria and Yamagata lineages of influenza B

In this study, a PCR-DGGE protocol was standardized in order to distinguish Victoria and Yamagata influenza B lineages directly from clinical samples. After routine multiplex PCR characterization, amplicons of the haemagglutinin gene bearing a 40 bp-length GC clamp were generated by nested-PCR and analyzed by electrophoresis in 6% polyacrylamide gel with a 25-45% urea-formamide gradient. The results showed a perfect correlation between DGGE and phylogenetic analyses for all compared samples, besides some distinct profiles in Victoria and Yamagata groups that could be used to infer variability inside these groups. In summary, this DGGE protocol for the haemagglutinin gene is rapid, useful and efficient, being an alternative for discrimination between the influenza B lineages.     

北京市门头沟区2015—2016年Victoria系乙型流感病毒HA1基因特征分析

目的 了解北京市门头沟区2015—2016年分离的Victoria系乙型流感病毒血凝素HA1基因变异特征,分析流行株与我国疫苗株的匹配情况,为乙型流感防控提供依据.方法 对狗肾传代细胞(MDCK)培养分离得到的14株Victoria系乙型流感病毒进行核酸提取,采用逆转录-聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)扩增病毒HA1基因后进行核苷酸序列测定,采用邻接法进行遗传进化树分析.结果 2015—2016年北京市门头沟区流行的乙型流感病毒以Victoria系为主.分离并测序的14株Victoria系乙型流感病毒HA1基因与WHO推荐的2016—2017年流感疫苗株B/Brisbane/60/2008(FJ766842)和国内代表株B/JilinNanguan/1223/2016(EPI768805)亲缘性更近.与B/Brisbane/60/2008和B/JilinNanguan/1223/2016(EPI768805)的HA1区的氨基酸相比,所有毒株都在2个位点发生氨基酸替换,个别毒株也会在其他个别位点发生点突变,变异涉及1个抗原决定簇.而与WHO推荐的2015—2016年Yamagata系疫苗株B/Phuket/3073/2013(EPI608074)亲缘关系稍远一些.结论 在2015—2016年流感监测季中,北京市门头沟区乙型流感病毒以Victoria系为优势流行株.而WHO推荐的乙型流感疫苗株为Yamagata系,可见疫苗株与本区流行株匹配性不佳.     

2015年北京市房山区乙型Yamagata系流感病毒HA基因特性分析

目的 了解北京市房山区2015年乙型Yamagata系流感病毒HA1基因变异情况.方法 选取2015年流感病原学监测中分离到的乙型Yamagata系毒株共13株,采用RT-PCR法扩增病毒HA基因片段后进行序列测定,与WHO推荐的疫苗株进行比对并构建进化树.采用MEGA6软件对测序结果进行分析.结果 2015年房山区乙型Yamagata系流感病毒HA1基因片段序列测定拼接后核苷酸长度为1059bp,编码氨基酸为353个,与2014-2015年的疫苗株B/Massachusetts/02/2012比较,13株毒株的氨基酸均在第123、131、165、180、187、196、211、217、244、313、327位点有变异;与2012-2013年的疫苗株B/Wisconsin/01/2010比较,13株毒株的氨基酸在第187、313、327均有变异.做进化树分析,房山区2015年分离到的乙型Yamagata系流感病毒与疫苗株B/Wisconsin/1/2010在同一个分支上,距离较近,与B/Massachusctts/2/2012不在一个分支上,距离较远.结论 2015年北京市房山区乙型Yamagata系流感病毒HA1基因在抗原决定簇区已发生变异,但疫苗株B/Wisconsin/01/2010有保护作用,应继续关注氨基酸的替换.     

Genetic characterization of the hemagglutinin of two strains of influenza B virus co-circulated in Taiwan.

Two isolates of influenza B virus were obtained in the spring of 1997. One strain, B/Taiwan/21706/97, was isolated from a patient who had acute tonsillitis. The other, B/Taiwan/3143/97, was isolated from a patient who was diagnosed with meningoencephalitis. This implies that the influenza B viruses not only cause respiratory symptoms but may also cause inflammation of the nervous system. Sequence analysis of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene, HA1 domain, indicated that there were remarkable amino acid changes in the strain B/Taiwan/3143/97 compared to B/Victoria/2/87, B/Yamagata/16/88, and B/Taiwan/7/88. The changes in the positions 116, 200, 238, 242, and 271 were correlated with receptor binding. Furthermore, a potential glycosylation site at position 233 was lost. In total, 30 amino acid changes were noted at positions ranging from 116 to 295. These changes may affect the antigenicity of the virus. Phylogenetic analyses also showed that the B/Taiwan/3143/97 was located in an independent lineage, when compared to the reference strains belonging to B/Victoria/2/87 and B/Yamagata/16/88 lineages. This supports the hypothesis that influenza B viruses with distinct genetic characteristic were co-circulated in Taiwan.     

Multiple genotypes of influenza B viruses cocirculated in Taiwan in 2004 and 2005

An influenza B outbreak occurred in Taiwan in 2004 and 2005, during which both Victoria (Vic) and Yamagata (Ya) lineages cocirculated. This study examined 36 influenza B viral genomes isolated during the outbreak to reveal their reassortment patterns. According to the isolate groupings in phylogenetic analysis, we were able to categorize those 36 isolates as being of either the Victoria or Yamagata lineage for all eight influenza B virus genomic segments, except for the NS gene, in which clades A and B existed. Based on these groupings, three genome patterns clearly emerged, namely, pattern I (Vic+Vic+Ya+Vic+Ya+Ya+Ya+A, from segments 1 to 8), pattern II (Ya+Ya+Ya+Ya+Ya+Ya+Ya+B), and pattern III (Ya+Ya+Ya+Ya+Ya+Ya+Ya+A). According to the timeline of those isolates under investigation, it appears that pattern I and II viruses could have generated pattern III via reassortment of the NS gene. On the other hand, a genomewide comparison of all six pattern III Taiwanese viruses with 37 international influenza B viral genomes showed that two international strains, B/Oslo/71/04 and B/England/23/04, were consistently clustered with the pattern III viruses isolated in Taiwan in 2004 and 2005, suggesting that Taiwanese pattern III viruses might also have been imported due to their matching genomic composition.     

Cocirculation of two distinct evolutionary lineages of influenza type B virus since 1983

During 1988-1989 two highly distinct antigenic variants of influenza type B were recognized in hemagglutination-inhibition tests with postinfection ferret serum. These viruses were antigenically related to either B/Victoria/2/87, the most recent reference strain, or B/Yamagata/16/88, a variant that was isolated in Japan in May 1988. All influenza B viruses isolated in the United States during an epidemic in the winter of 1988-1989 were antigenically related to B/Victoria/2/87. However, in several countries in Asia, both B/Victoria/2/87-like viruses and B/Yamagata/16/88-like viruses were isolated. Sequence analysis of the hemagglutinin (HA) genes of several influenza B isolates from 1987 to 1988 indicated that the HA1 domains of the B/Yamagata/16/88-like viruses and B/VI/87-like viruses isolated in 1988 differed by 27 amino acids. Evolutionary relationships based on this sequence data indicated that the B/Yamagata/16/88-like viruses were more closely related to epidemic viruses from 1983 (B/USSR/100/83-like viruses) than to more recent reference strains such as B/Victoria/2/87. All other Asian strains, as well as selected isolates from the United States in 1988, were confirmed by sequence analysis as being genetically related to B/Victoria/2/87. These data provide clear evidence that two parallel evolutionary pathways of influenza type B have existed since at least 1983 and that viruses from each of the separate lineages were isolated from cases of influenza B in 1988. This finding is similar to earlier observations for type A H1N1 and H3N2 influenza viruses.     

Genetic analysis and evaluation of the reassortment of influenza B viruses isolated in Taiwan during the 2004-2005 and 2006-2007 epidemics

Influenza B viruses were predominant in Taiwan during the 2004-2005 epidemic and both Victoria and Yamagata lineage viruses co-circulated. A reassortant influenza B virus that contained a Victoria lineage hemagglutinin (HA) gene and Yamagata lineage neuraminidase (NA) gene appeared first in 2002 and became predominant during the 2004-2005 epidemic. During the 2006-2007 epidemic, an influenza B outbreak occurred in Taiwan and only Victoria lineage viruses circulated. We characterized the viruses isolated in the 2006-2007 epidemic and found that the HA genes of influenza B viruses from that epidemic were highly similar to those from the 2004-2005 epidemic. We also analyzed the NA genes of isolates from the 2006-2007 epidemic and found that they all belonged to the Yamagata lineage and formed a new genetic subclade. Comparison of isolates from the 2004-2005 and 2006-2007 epidemics revealed four substitutions, N220K, E320D, K343R and E404K in NA genes. Although the HA sequences from the 2006-2007 epidemic were similar to those from the 2004-2005 epidemic, the NA sequences differed, suggesting distinct patterns of evolution of the HA and NA genes from 2004-2007 in Taiwan. This study emphasizes that the evolution of the NA genes may contribute to reemergence of influenza B viruses.     

Exploration of the emergence of the Victoria lineage of influenza B virus

Summary. The Victoria lineage represented by B/Victoria/2/87 is one of the two major distinctive haemagglutinin (HA) lineages of influenza B virus, and its recent re-emergence has aroused great concerns. However, it remains unknown when, where, and how this HA lineage emerged in the world. In this study, the HA1 domain of the HA gene of fourteen influenza B viruses isolated in China in 1972–1984 was sequenced. The sequences were phylogenetically analyzed with the HA1 sequences of 41 other important influenza B isolates. The results unveiled some earlier footprints of the Victoria lineage in China, and the epidemic history of the Victoria lineage could be traced back from the year 1985 to 1975. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis, the history of China, and the epidemiology of influenza B virus indicated that the Victoria lineage possibly emerged in China in the 1970s through gradual evolution from a minor lineage.     

Detection and characterization of new influenza B virus variants in 2002

One-hundred five influenza B-positive specimens obtained from southeast Asia in 2002 were categorized on the basis of DNA sequencing of HA1 gene as well as real-time PCR analysis of the NA gene. Phylogenetic analysis of the HA1 gene sequences showed that the majority of the viruses (96.2%) belonged to the B/Victoria/2/87 lineage, while a smaller percentage of the viruses (3.8%) belonged to the B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage. The B/Yamagata/16/88 viruses displayed significant antigenic drift in the deduced amino acid sequences of the HA1 protein, and the B/Victoria/2/87-like viruses consisted of B/Hong Kong/1351/02-like (72.3%) and B/Hong Kong/330/01-like (27.7%) viruses. The B/Hong Kong/1351/02-like viruses were reassortants with the HA gene belonging to the B/Victoria/2/87 lineage and the NA gene belonging to the B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage, whereas both the HA and NA genes of B/Hong Kong/330/01 virus belonged to the B/Victoria/2/87 lineage. In this study, however, all the B/Hong Kong/330/01-like isolates exhibited the B/Yamagata/16/88-like NA gene, which likely resulted from reassortment of B/Hong Kong/330/01 and B/Hong Kong/1351/02 viruses during coinfection. Additional molecular characterization of the six internal genes showed that the M, NS, PA, and PB2 genes of the new variants were B/Hong Kong/1351/02 in origin, whereas the NP and PA genes retained the B/Hong Kong/330/01 origin. Interestingly, these new variants all appeared late in the year 2002. These results support the notion that influenza B viruses continued to evolve through antigenic drift and shift.     

Antigenic and genetic analyses of influenza B viruses\\ isolated in Lusaka, Zambia in 1999

Summary.  Previous studies of the hemagglutinin (HA) genes of various influenza B virus isolates demonstrated the existence of two antigenically distinct virus lineages represented by B/Victoria/2/87 and B/Yamagata/16/88, respectively. Here, we investigated the antigenic and genetic characteristics of influenza B viruses isolated from children living in Lusaka, Zambia between January and May 1999. Antigenic analysis with chicken antiviral sera showed that all the Zambian isolates had the HA protein belonging to B/Yamagata/16/88-related lineage. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses of the eight RNA segments performed by using the total or partial nucleotide sequences of the two representative Zambian strains (B/Lusaka/270/99 and B/Lusaka/432/99) as well as the previously reported sequences suggested that the Zambian viruses are closely related to the recently circulating reassortants represented by B/Shiga/T30/98 and B/Yamanashi/166/98 which acquired the genes coding for three polymerase proteins (PB2, PB1, and PA), HA, nucleoprotein, and matrix protein from a B/Yamagata/16/88-like parent and the gene encoding nonstructural proteins (NS1 and NS2) from a B/Guandong/8/93-like parent. Accepted June 15, 2001 Received April 17, 2001     

Secretory IgA antibodies provide cross-protection against infection with different strains of influenza B virus

This study examined whether secretory IgA (S-IgA) antibodies (Abs) could confer cross-protective immunity against infection with influenza B viruses of antigenically distinct lineages. Wild-type or polymeric Ig receptor (pIgR)-knockout (KO) mice were immunized by infection with different B viruses or by intranasal (i.n.) administration with different inactivated vaccines. Four weeks later mice were challenged with either the B/Ibaraki/2/85 virus, representative of the B/Victoria/2/87 (B/Victoria)-lineage, or B/Yamagata/16/88 virus, representative of the B/Yamagata-lineage. Three days after challenge, nasal wash and serum specimens were assayed for IgA and IgG Abs specific for challenge viral antigens and for protection against challenge viruses. In wild-type mice, B/Ibaraki (or B/Yamagata) cross-reactive IgA Abs were detected at higher levels when infected or immunized with homologous-lineage viruses and at lower levels when infected or immunized with heterologous-lineage viruses. There was a correlation between the amount of nasal cross-reactive IgA Ab and the efficacy of cross-protection with a homologous-lineage virus. In mice lacking the pIgR, nasal cross-protective IgA Abs were only marginally detected in vaccinated mice and an accumulation of IgA in the serum was observed. This reduction of nasal IgA was accompanied by inefficient cross-protection against the B/Ibaraki (or B/Yamagata) virus infection. These results suggest that challenge viral-antigen cross-reactive S-IgA in nasal secretions induced by i.n. infection or vaccination is involved in providing cross-protection against challenge infection with virus within either the B/Victoria- or B/Yamagata-lineage.     

Cocirculation and evolution of two lineages of influenza B viruses in europe and Israel in the 2001-2002 season

Forty-nine influenza B virus isolates collected in Belgium, Finland, Spain, and Israel during the 2001-2002 winter season were categorized into either of two lineages, B/Yamagata/16/88 or B/Victoria/2/87, based on the phylogenetic studies of HA1 sequences. The data trace the geographic spread of B/Victoria/2/87-like viruses and support the emergence of B/Hong Kong/1351/02-like viruses, possibly due to selective advantages of reassortment.