title: [The 2003/2004 influenza season in the Netherlands with a limited epidemic of the virus variant A/Fujian, and the vaccine composition for the 2004/2005 season].
abstract: In contrast to the three previous influenza seasons, the influenza epidemic of the 2003/2004 season started early in week 49 of 2003. The epidemic was predominantly caused by influenza-A viruses of the H3N2 subtype. All isolated influenza-A viruses were antigenically related to influenza virus A/Fujian/411/02, which was already detected in the influenza season 2002/2003 and that deviated from the vaccine-reference strain A/Moscow/10/99 to a certain extent. The magnitude of the epidemic was limited despite the fact that it was caused by influenza-A H3N2-virus-drift variants. Immunity caused by natural infection with influenza viruses during previous seasons or vaccination has possibly provided sufficient cross protection against these new H3N2-drift variant. No influenza-A viruses of the H1N1 or H1N2 subtypes were detected in the influenza season 2003/2004. Only a small number of influenza-B viruses were isolated, which all belonged to the B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage, which was temporarily replaced by the B/Victoria2/87 lineage in the previous influenza season. On the basis of epidemiological and serological data the World Health Organization has recommended the following vaccine composition for the 2004/2005 influenza season: A/Fujian/411/02 (H3N2), A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1) and B/Shanghai/361/02.
authors.affiliation: Erasmus Medisch Centrum, afd. Virologie, Postbus 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam. g.rimmelzwaan@erasmusmc.nl
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 M
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Bartelds
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wilbrink
authors.forename: R A M
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Fouchier
authors.forename: A D M E
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
mesh_terms: D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines