1. In-field detection and characterization of B/Victoria lineage deletion variant viruses causing early influenza activity and an outbreak in Louisiana, 2019.
- Author
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Shu B, Wilson MM, Keller MW, Tran H, Sokol T, Lee G, Rambo-Martin BL, Kirby MK, Hassell N, Haydel D, Hand J, Wentworth DE, and Barnes JR
- Subjects
- Humans, Disease Outbreaks, Louisiana epidemiology, Influenza, Human epidemiology, Influenza Vaccines
- Abstract
Background: In 2019, the Louisiana Department of Health reported an early influenza B/Victoria (B/VIC) virus outbreak., Method: As it was an atypically large outbreak, we deployed to Louisiana to investigate it using genomics and a triplex real-time RT-PCR assay to detect three antigenically distinct B/VIC lineage variant viruses., Results: The investigation indicated that B/VIC V1A.3 subclade, containing a three amino acid deletion in the hemagglutinin and known to be antigenically distinct to the B/Colorado/06/2017 vaccine virus, was the most prevalent circulating virus within the specimens evaluated (86/88 in real-time RT-PCR)., Conclusion: This work underscores the value of portable platforms for rapid, onsite pathogen characterization., Competing Interests: None declared., (© 2024 The Authors. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.)
- Published
- 2024
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