1. The global circulation of seasonal influenza A (H3N2) viruses.
- Author
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Russell CA, Jones TC, Barr IG, Cox NJ, Garten RJ, Gregory V, Gust ID, Hampson AW, Hay AJ, Hurt AC, de Jong JC, Kelso A, Klimov AI, Kageyama T, Komadina N, Lapedes AS, Lin YP, Mosterin A, Obuchi M, Odagiri T, Osterhaus AD, Rimmelzwaan GF, Shaw MW, Skepner E, Stohr K, Tashiro M, Fouchier RA, and Smith DJ
- Subjects
- Antigenic Variation, Asia epidemiology, Asia, Southeastern epidemiology, Europe epidemiology, Evolution, Molecular, Forecasting, Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus genetics, Humans, Influenza Vaccines, Influenza, Human virology, North America epidemiology, Oceania, Phylogeny, Population Surveillance, Seasons, South America epidemiology, Disease Outbreaks, Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus immunology, Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype classification, Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype genetics, Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype immunology, Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype isolation & purification, Influenza, Human epidemiology
- Abstract
Antigenic and genetic analysis of the hemagglutinin of approximately 13,000 human influenza A (H3N2) viruses from six continents during 2002-2007 revealed that there was continuous circulation in east and Southeast Asia (E-SE Asia) via a region-wide network of temporally overlapping epidemics and that epidemics in the temperate regions were seeded from this network each year. Seed strains generally first reached Oceania, North America, and Europe, and later South America. This evidence suggests that once A (H3N2) viruses leave E-SE Asia, they are unlikely to contribute to long-term viral evolution. If the trends observed during this period are an accurate representation of overall patterns of spread, then the antigenic characteristics of A (H3N2) viruses outside E-SE Asia may be forecast each year based on surveillance within E-SE Asia, with consequent improvements to vaccine strain selection.
- Published
- 2008
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