title: [Influenza in the 1996/'97 season; vaccine composition for the 1997/'98 season].
abstract: The first indication of flu activity in the Netherlands in the 1996/'97 season was the isolation of an A/H3N2 influenza virus in week 48 of 1996. In subsequent weeks influenza viruses were isolated sporadically. The clinical influenza activity increased from week I of 1997 and reached its peak in week 4 of 1997. Simultaneously with the increase of clinical influenza activity, an increasing number of influenza viruses were isolated. The epidemic had a relatively small extent. Initially, A/H3N2 influenza viruses were predominant, but in the second half of the epidemic an increasing number of influenza B viruses were isolated as well. The A/H3N2 viruses were antigenically fairly strongly distinct from the variants prevalent in the preceding years. This season influenza A/HINI viruses did not play a significant role and only one virus of this subtype was isolated. All influenza A/H3N2, A/HINI and B viruses isolated were antigenically similar to the vaccine strains.
authors.affiliation: Nationaal Influenza Centrum van de WHO, Erasmus Universiteit, afd. Virologie, Rotterdam.
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Rimmelzwaan
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Bartelds
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Claas
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: van Wijngaarden
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D007252:Influenza Vaccines