title: Antigenic and genetic analyses of influenza type B viruses isolated in Russia, 1987-91.
abstract: Four influenza type B viruses isolated in Russia during periods of relatively low (1987-8) or high (1990-1) influenza B activity were characterized antigenically using a microneutralization assay. These isolates were antigenically similar to contemporary reference strains from either of two separate lineages represented by B/Victoria/2/87 and B/Yamagata/16/88. The evolutionary relationships of the variable portion of the haemagglutinin (HA1) genes of these viruses were determined by comparison with influenza B HA1 sequences previously obtained. The Isolate B/USSR/2/87, collected during the 1987-8 influenza season, was found to be closely related to viruses on the B/Victoria/2/87 lineage that circulated during the 1988-9 influenza season in the United States. Sequence analysis of the isolates from the 1990-1 influenza season demonstrated cocirculation of viruses from both the B/Victoria/2/87 and B/Yamagata/16/88 lineages in Russia, confirming the antigenic analysis.
authors.affiliation: Influenza Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hemphill
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Rota
authors.forename: V T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Ivanova
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Slepushkin
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Kendal
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000940:Antigenic Variation; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001483:Base Sequence; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry; D012426:Russia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral