Co-circulation of two influenza A (H3N2) antigenic variants detected by virus surveillance in individual communities.

From March through June 1977 a total of 31 influenza A (H3N2) viruses were isolated from students with respiratory disease who were seen at the student health service on the Berkeley campus of the University of California, and 32 influenza A (H3N2) viruses were isolated from persons who participated in a city-wide febrile respiratory disease surveillance program in Seattle. The antigenic specificity of the hemagglutinin was determined for each isolate by hemagglutination inhibition testing with sera from ferrets infected with prototype strains A/Victoria/3/75 and A/Texas/1/77. In each of the three months, April, May and June, A/Victoria/3/75-like and A/Texas/1/77-like viruses were identified among isolates from both communities, and the numbers of isolates of the two antigenic variants from patients seen with influenza-like illnesses were similar. The findings emphasize the need to examine multiple isolates even from within single communities to determine the antigenic specificity of current strains of influenza virus.     

铜川市2013-2015年A型流感病毒HA基因特性研究

目的 应用生物信息学数据库和工具,了解2013-2014年铜川市A型H1N1和2013-2015年A型H3N2流感病毒血凝素(HA)基因特性及其抗原变异情况。 方法 收集铜川市哨点医院流感样病例标本,采用MDCK细胞分离流感病毒。用RT-PCR对部分A型H1N1、H3N2流感病毒进行HA基因序列扩增和纯化,序列测定,并用MEGA软件构建种系发生树分析。 结果 2013-2015年铜川市流感核酸检测标本共2 333份,流感阳性476份,阳性率20.40%。4株A型H1N1亚型流感病毒与WHO推荐A/California/07/2009(H1N1)疫苗株氨基酸序列比对,共发生11次氨基酸突变,其中3个氨基酸位点突变发生在抗原决定簇。3株A型H3N2亚型与WHO推荐的北半球2013-2014年A/Victoria/361/2011(H3N2)疫苗株比对共有9个氨基酸位点发生了突变,其中3个氨基酸位点发生在抗原决定簇;与WHO推荐的北半球2014-2015年A/Texas/50/2012(H3N2)疫苗株比对共有10个氨基酸位点发生了突变,有5个氨基酸位点发生在抗原决定簇。 结论 2013-2015年铜川市流行的A型H1N1、H3N2亚型流感病毒氨基酸发生突变导致抗原漂移。     

Surveillance of influenza in Houston, Texas, USA: gradual transition from A/Victoria/75 (H3N2) to A/Texas/77 (H3N2) predominance and antigenic characterization of "intermediate" strains

Influenza epidemics in Houston, Texas, USA, during the winters of 1975-76, 1976-77, and 1977-78 were attributed to A/Victoria/3/75 (H3N2), B/Hong Kong/5/72, and A/Texas/1/77 (H3N2)-like viruses, respectively. Both A/Victoria and A/Texas viruses were detected towards the end of the 1976-77 epidemic and throughout the 1977-78 epidemic. To determine if there had been a gradual transition in the predominant strain, 267 viral isolates from the 1975-76 epidemic were tested for A/Texas virus. Eight specimens (3%) that appeared to contain A/Texas antigens were cloned and retested with specific antisera prepared in guinea-pigs and ferrets. One virus was identical to A/Texas/1/77 virus, two reacted like A/Victoria/3/75 and five reacted equally well with antisera prepared against A/Victoria/3/75 and A/Texas/1/77 viruses (bridging strains). The six viral isolates containing A/Texas antigens were obtained at different times during the epidemic, from all parts of the city, from males and females aged between 1 and 20 years.     

中国2002～2003年度流行性感冒监测分析

目的 阐明2002年4月至2003年6月国内流行性感冒(流感)流行特点和流感病毒优势株的特性。方法 流感病毒分离采用鸡胚和细胞分离；流感病毒亚型鉴定采用血球凝集抑制试验；对流行株的HA基因核酸测序，分析其亲缘关系和抗原变异性。结果 2002年4月至2003年6月，全国23个省(市)和自治区共采集流感样患者咽拭子标本共计16135份，经鉴定流感病毒阳性1113株，分离率6．9％。在1113株流感病毒中，A1型66株、A3型544株、B型流感病毒Yamagada98株和Victoria405株，分别占总分离数的5．9％、48．9％、8．8％和36．4％。优势流行株为H3N2和B型Victoria株。A3型流感病毒除主要分离于2002年12月和2003年1月外，在非流行高峰期也有一定数量的分离。而B型Victoria系流感病毒主要集中分离于冬季流行高峰期，其流行株核酸序列分析属B型Victoria系株。A3型毒株血凝素基因的HA1系统树分析表明，其与A／Panama／2007／99同源，且有某些变异存在。结论 虽然感染人群的流感毒株依然是A1、A3和B型交叉出现，但以A型(H3N2)和B型Victoria为优势株。与历年不同，B型Victoria分离比例增加及分布广泛是2002～2003年度的特点。A型(H3N2)流行株有变异迹象值得密切注意。     

An influenza B outbreak during the 2007/2008 winter among appropriately immunized elderly people living in a nursing home

The study evaluated the immunogenicity and efficacy of a trivalent subunit MF59-adjuvanted influenza vaccine (A/Wisconsin/67/05 (H3N2), A/Solomon Islands/3/06 (H1N1) and B/Malaysia/2506/04) in preventing serologically diagnosed infections in a group of 67 institutionalized elderly volunteers during 2007/2008 winter, characterized by co-circulation of drifted A/H3N2, A/H1N1 and B influenza viruses. Influenza vaccination induced a significant increase in the amounts of hemagglutination inhibiting antibodies, both against the vaccine and the epidemic drifted strains. However, vaccination did not prevent the circulation of the new drifted influenza B virus (B/Florida/4/06-like), belonging to the B/Yamagata/16/88-lineage, antigenically and genetically distinct from B/Victoria/2/87-lineage viruses from which the vaccine B strain was derived.     

Antigenic and genetic characterization of influenza viruses circulating in Bulgaria during the 2015/2016 season

Influenza virological surveillance is an essential tool for early detection of novel genetic variants of epidemiologic and clinical significance. The aim of this study was to determine the antigenic and molecular characteristics of influenza viruses circulating in Bulgaria during the 2015/2016 season. The season was characterized by dominant circulation of A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses, accounting for 66% of detected influenza viruses, followed by B/Victoria-lineage viruses (24%) and A(H3N2) viruses (10%). All sequenced influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2) and B/Victoria-lineage viruses belonged to the 6B.1, 3C.2a and 1A genetic groups, respectively. Amino acid analysis of 57 A(H1N1)pdm09 isolates revealed the presence of 16 changes in hemagglutinin (HA) compared to the vaccine virus, five of which occurred in four antigenic sites, together with 16 changes in neuraminidase (NA) and a number of substitutions in proteins MP, NP, NS and PB2. Despite the many amino acid substitutions, A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses remained antigenically closely related to A/California/7/2009 vaccine virus. Bulgarian A(H3N2) strains (subclade 3C.2a) showed changes at 11 HA positions four of which were located in antigenic sites A and B, together with 6 positions in NA, compared to the subclade 3C.3a vaccine virus. They contained unique HA1 substitutions N171K, S312R and HA2 substitutions I77V and G155E compared to Bulgarian 3C.2a viruses of the previous season. All 20 B/Victoria-lineage viruses sequenced harboured two substitutions in the antigenic 120-loop region of HA, and 5 changes in NA, compared to the B/Brisbane/60/2008 vaccine virus. The results of this study reaffirm the continuous genetic variability of circulating seasonal influenza viruses and the need for continued systematic antigenic and molecular surveillance.     

Infection with influenza A/Victoria virus in Houston families, 1976.

In 1976, an epidemic caused by infections with an influenza virus antigenically similar to A/Victoria/75 (H3N2) occurred in Houston, Texas. During this outbreak, 37 families (155 members) enrolled in the Houston Family Study were under observation. The families lived throughout the metropolitan area (Houston, Texas), and were representative of low income groups. The overall frequency of infection in family members was 27.7%. The frequency of infection was the highest for infants under one year of age and for their older siblings, 14 (37.8%) of 37 and 17 (33.3%) of 51, respectively. Eighteen (48.6%) of the 37 families had at least one infected member. Twelve of the 18 ''infected'' families had school aged children, whereas only three of the 19 ''non-infected'' families had school aged children (P less than 0.01). These infected families were also larger and had increased household density (persons/rooms). The levels of pre-existing HI antibodies to A/Victoria/75 and A/Port Chalmers/73 were inversely related to frequencies of infection and illness associated with A/Victoria/75 virus. Three children required hospitalization as direct consequence of their infection with this H3N2 influenza virus. Antibody response to infection was related to previous experience with antigenically-related influenza A (H3N2) viruses according to Francis'', ''doctrine of original antigenic sin.''     

上海市金山区2010年-2011年流感监测结果分析

目的:对金山区唯一一家哨点医院采集的流感样病例咽拭子标本进行检测,以掌握2010年-2011年度金山区流感流行情况。方法:提取咽拭子标本中的病毒核酸,采用实时荧光定量PCR检测新甲H1N1、季节性H1N1、季节性H3N2、B型流感病毒,对阳性标本进行病毒培养,并进行鉴定。结果:2010年1月-12月,共采集样品631例,阳性数189例,阳性率30.0%,培养出符合滴度的流感病毒毒株6株,为5株B Vic-toria系和1株B Yamagate系;2011年1月-2011年12月,共采集312例,阳性数81例,阳性率26.0%,培养出符合滴度的流感病毒毒株30株,包括5株季节性H3型,4株新甲型H1N1型,13株B(Victoria系)型,8株B(Yamagate系)型。结论:2010年、2011年金山区流感流行特点为冬春季和夏季高发,病毒优势株从数量上呈B、新甲H1N1、季节性H3交替流行态势。     

2006年湖南省流行性感冒病原学监测结果与分析

目的了解湖南省流感监测地区的流感流行状况及流感毒株的型别分布,分析其流行趋势,为流感防制提供科学依据。方法采集流感样病例(ILI)的咽拭子标本,用传代狗肾细胞(MDCK)进行病毒分离,采用血凝抑制实验(HI)进行流感病毒型别鉴定。分离的毒株再送国家流感中心(NIC)进行复核鉴定。结果全省12家哨点医院3499份ILI咽拭子标本,分离到毒株258株,分离阳性率为7.37%,经NIC最后复核鉴定的结果为:A(H1N1)亚型202株,A(H3N2)亚型11株,B型43株,另有2株送NIC后转阴;流感及ILI暴发疫情病例咽拭子标本179份,分离到流感病毒75株,分离阳性率为41.90%,分型鉴定为A(H1N1)亚型12株,B型62株,1株送国家流感中心后转阴。结论2006年湖南省流感监测地区全年均有流感活动,A(H1N1)亚型、A(H3N2)亚型和B型均能被分离到,A(H1N1)亚型为优势株,而暴发疫情则以B型为主。     

The 2006/'07 influenza season in the Netherlands and the vaccine composition for the 2007/'08 season

The influenza epidemic of 2006/'07 began late in the season, like the two previous influenza epidemics. In week 8 a peak of modest height was reached. As usual, the causal strains were mainly A/H3N2 viruses and to a lesser extent A/H1N1 and B viruses. A new A/H1N1 virus variant has emerged, an event that on average takes place only every 10 years. However, almost all A/H1N1 virus isolates belonged to the old variant and were similar to the vaccine virus. The A/H3N2 virus isolates appeared to deviate from the vaccine strain, but after antigenic cartographic analysis and correction for low avidity they proved also closely related to the vaccine strain. The few type B virus isolates belonged to the B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage, whereas the used B vaccine virus had been chosen from the B/Victoria/2/87 lineage. The vaccine therefore will have provided almost optimal protection against the circulating influenza A/H1N1 and A/H3N2 viruses but not against the influenza B viruses. For the 2007/'08 influenza season the World Health Organization has recommended the following vaccine composition: A/Solomon Islands/3/06 (H1N1) (new), A/Wisconsin/67/05 (H3N2), and B/Malaysia/2506/04.     

Annual report of the National Influenza Surveillance Scheme, 2003.

Surveillance of influenza in Australia is based on laboratory isolation of influenza viruses, sentinel general-practitioner practices for influenza-like illness, and absenteeism data from a major national employer. In 2003, the peak in influenza activity was in August which was later than in 2002. In 2003, 3,604 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza were notified to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, which was marginally lower than for the previous year. Ninety-four per cent of the circulating viruses were influenza A. This was the highest proportion in the last five years. Nine hundred and thirty-five isolates were antigenically analysed: 928 were A(H3), two were A(H1) strains and five were influenza B viruses. The majority (98%) of the A(H3) subtypes were A/Fujian/411/2002(H3N2)-like and have shown a significant antigenic drift. The 2003 Australian influenza vaccine contained A/Panama/2007/99, which induced 2-4-fold lower antibody response against the drifted strain. An A/Fujian/411/2002(H3N2)-like virus has been incorporated in the Australian influenza vaccine for 2004. In 2003, the influenza vaccine was given to 77 per cent of Australians aged over 65 years; the same up take as in 2002.     

Infection with influenza A/Victoria virus in Houston families, 1976

In 1976, an epidemic caused by infections with an influenza virus antigenically similar to A/Victoria/75 (H3N2) occurred in Houston, Texas. During this outbreak, 37 families (155 members) enrolled in the Houston Family Study were under observation. The families lived throughout the metropolitan area (Houston, Texas), and were representative of low income groups. The overall frequency of infection in family members was 27.7%. The frequency of infection was the highest for infants under one year of age and for their older siblings, 14 (37.8%) of 37 and 17 (33.3%) of 51, respectively. Eighteen (48.6%) of the 37 families had at least one infected member. Twelve of the 18 'infected' families had school aged children, whereas only three of the 19 'non-infected' families had school aged children (P less than 0.01). These infected families were also larger and had increased household density (persons/rooms). The levels of pre-existing HI antibodies to A/Victoria/75 and A/Port Chalmers/73 were inversely related to frequencies of infection and illness associated with A/Victoria/75 virus. Three children required hospitalization as direct consequence of their infection with this H3N2 influenza virus. Antibody response to infection was related to previous experience with antigenically-related influenza A (H3N2) viruses according to Francis', 'doctrine of original antigenic sin.'     

Influenza surveillance in Pune, India, 1978-90.

Continuous surveillance of influenza was carried out in Pune between 1978 and 1990. Most of the cases were identified during investigation of 16 outbreaks of influenza in Pune over this period. The majority of cases were children. Ten of the outbreaks occurred during rainy seasons. A total of 290 isolates consisting of several antigenic variants of influenza type A (H3N2), type A (H1N1), and type B viruses were isolated from throat/nasal swabs that were processed in chick embryos and MDCK cell culture and identified using the haemagglutination inhibition test. These variants circulated every year or in alternate years. Nearly two-thirds of the influenza virus isolates (181 out of 290) were from children aged < 10 years. Seasonal analysis indicated that the highest number of isolates (174) were collected during the rainy months of July, August and September, with the maximum number (93) in July.     

Strain specificity of serum antibody to the haemagglutinin of influenza A (H3N2) viruses in children following immunization or natural infection.

The specificity of serum anti-HA antibody from children immunized or infected with A/Victoria/75 (H3N2 or A/Texas/77 (H3N2) virus was examined using the single radial haemolysis test together with adsorption of antibody with three antigenic variants A/Hong Kong/68 (H3N2), A/Port Chalmers/73 (H3N2) and A/Victoria/75 (H3N2). The majority of young children reacted to vaccination or infection by producing strain-specific (SS) antibody to the homologous virus. A small proportion of children''s sera contained cross-reacting (CR) antibodies capable of reacting with the haemagglutinins of all antigenic variants of the sub-type including A/HK/1/68. In contrast, most adults reacted immunologically to either vaccination or infection by producing CR antibody, reacting with all variants of the antigenic subtype including the prototype virus A/HK/1/68 (H3N2).     

Annual report of the National Influenza Surveillance Scheme, 2001.

Surveillance of influenza in Australia in 2001 was based on data from national and state-based sentinel practice consultations for influenza-like illness, laboratory isolations of influenza virus and absenteeism rates from a national employer. In 2001, laboratory-confirmed influenza became a notifiable disease and was reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS). Influenza A was the dominant type, 81 per cent of which were subtype H1N1 and 19 per cent were subtype H3N2. The influenza A (H1N1) analysed were all A/New Caledonia/20/99-like strains. The H3N2 isolates were antigenically similar to the reference strain A/Moscow/10/99 and the vaccine strain A/Panama/2007/99. The influenza B isolates, which made up only 10 per cent of all isolates, were mainly B/Sichuan/379/99-like strains but 10 per cent of isolates were more closely related to B/Harbin/7/94-like viruses, which circulated in previous years. The Australian 2001 influenza vaccine represented a good match for the circulating viruses and 77 per cent of persons over 65 years in Australia were vaccinated in 2001.     

The effectiveness of influenza vaccination among nursery school children in China during the 2016/17 influenza season

BackgroundThe effectiveness of influenza vaccine among nursery school children has not been systematically studied. We conducted a cohort study of children from 13 nursery schools in Suzhou, China, to estimate the effectiveness of influenza vaccine against laboratory-confirmed influenza during 2016–17.MethodsChildren aged 36–72 months were chosen from 13 nursery schools from 3 District in Suzhou. The surveillance started 2 weeks after vaccination during October 2016–February 2017. Class teachers reported the names of students with ILI (influenza-like illness) to study clinicians on each school day. Further, local physicians collected the student’s nasopharyngeal swab or throat swab, either at a study clinic or at the child’s home. The swabs were sent to the National Influenza Network Laboratory in Suzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention for influenza testing by RT-PCR.ResultA total of 4614 children were enrolled, of which 15 children (vaccinated: 2; unvaccinated: 13) were lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 4599 children, 558 swabs were collected. Among these swabs, 70 samples tested positive for influenza virus; 17 in the vaccinated group (B Victoria: 2; H3N2: 15) and 53 in the unvaccinated group (B Victoria: 14; A(H1N1)pdm09: 1; H3N2: 38). The overall influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) during the influenza season of 2016–2017 was 20.6%. The incidence of developing ILI symptoms and healthcare seeking behavior through clinical visits was significantly lower in vaccinated children than in the unvaccinated group.ConclusionInfluenza vaccine protection in vaccinated and unvaccinated children showed no statistical difference and the VE percentage varied for different virus subtypes. However, the incidence rate of developing ILI and healthcare seeking behavior was significant lower in the vaccinated group than in the unvaccinated children. Larger studies are required to estimate the VE according to the influenza type, subtype, and lineage during influenza seasons in China in the future.     

Predominance of influenza A(H3N2) virus genetic subclade 3C.2a1 during an early 2016/17 influenza season in Europe – Contribution of surveillance data from World Health Organization (WHO) European Region to the WHO vaccine composition consultation for northern hemisphere 2017/18

During the European 2016/17 influenza season, A(H3N2) viruses have predominated and the majority clustered in genetic subclade 3C.2a1. Genetic analyses showed that circulating viruses have undergone considerable genetic diversification of the haemagglutinin gene from the current vaccine virus A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (clade 3C.2a), but the antigenic data that is limited by the challenges with the antigenic characterisation of currently circulating A(H3N2) viruses, showed no clear evidence of antigenic change. The recommended A(H3N2) vaccine component for the northern hemisphere 2017/18 influenza season remained unchanged. However, early and mid-season vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates were suggestive of reduced VE against A(H3N2) viruses.     

郴州市2009年流感病原学监测及A(H1N1)NA基因特征研究

[目的]了解2009年郴州市流感病毒流行株的病原学特征,为流感防控提供科学依据。[方法]采集哨点医院ILI咽拭子标本,用MDCK细胞进行病毒分离,采用HA和HI试验对流感病毒进行分型鉴定;采集暴发疫情ILI咽拭子用PCR法检测流感病毒核酸;随机抽取4、10月份的季节性A(H1N1)流感毒株进行NA基因测序,测序结果与国内各省市流行株及WHO推荐的北半球疫苗株作同源性比对,绘制种系进化树。[结果]分离哨点医院监测标本2284份,阳性254份:其中季节性A(H1N1)109株、A(H3N2)97株、甲型H1N130株、B型18株;PCR检测3024份标本,甲型H1N1核酸阳性1002份,阳性率33.13%;BLAST比对结果显示,4、10月份的季节性A(H1N1)毒株与2009年WHO推荐的北半球疫苗毒株A/Brisbane/59/2007的核酸同源性分别为99%和98%;种系进化分析结果表明4月份分离株与疫苗株亲缘关系最近,而10月份分离株较4月份分离株已明显发生变异。[结论]2009年郴州市甲型流感病毒异常活跃,其中1～6月季节性A(H1N1)为优势毒株,7～9月A(H3N2)为优势毒株,10～12月甲型H1N1为优势毒株,且出现甲型H1N1流感大流行。季节性A(H1N1)病毒在流行过程中NA基因已经发生了一定的变异,有必要持续跟踪和监测其变异情况。     

2003年广州市流行性感冒病原学及血清学监测分析

目的　分析、掌握广州市流感病原学变化特点及流行趋势。方法　病例标本来自广州市 3家哨点医院的流感样病例和局部暴发疫点现患病例的漱口液或咽拭子 ;普通人群血清标本于流感流行高峰前 (3月 )和高峰后 (9月 )在其中一家哨点医院按 0～、5～、15～、2 5～、6 0岁以上 5个年龄组分层随机抽取普通人群进行采集 ;职业暴露人群血清标本于 9月份在花都区、从化市、增城市抽取饲养、销售、屠宰家禽职业人员进行采集。病原学采用MDCK细胞进行病毒分离 ,血清学采用微量半加敏红细胞抑制试验检测各型流感抗体。结果　检测 192 5份流感样病例标本 ,分离出流感病毒 2 6 5株 ,其中H3N2亚型 2 5 6株 ,B型 9株 ,分别占总病毒株的 96 6 %和 3 4 % ,未分离出H1N1亚型毒株 ;4～ 7月份分离的H3N2亚型毒株共 2 2 8株 ,占全年的 86 0 % ,此期未分离出B型毒株。全年共报告流感样局部暴发疫情 91起 ,4～ 7月份流行高峰期报告 82起 ,占全年的 90 1% ,其中 5 6起 (占 6 8 3% )为H3N2亚型引起。 3、9月份分别采集普通人群血清标本 180和 15 0份 ,流感病毒各型抗体中H3N2亚型抗体阳性率最高 ,3月份为 85 6 % (15 4 / 180 ) ,9月份为 90 7% (136 / 15 0 ) ;H1N1亚型、B(维多利亚系 ) 和B(巴拿马系 ) 抗体阳性率偏低 ,仅为 8