The global circulation of seasonal influenza A (H3N2) viruses.
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.
Russell
Colin A
CA
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Jones
Terry C
TC
Barr
Ian G
IG
Cox
Nancy J
NJ
Garten
Rebecca J
RJ
Gregory
Vicky
V
Gust
Ian D
ID
Hampson
Alan W
AW
Hay
Alan J
AJ
Hurt
Aeron C
AC
de Jong
Jan C
JC
Kelso
Anne
A
Klimov
Alexander I
AI
Kageyama
Tsutomu
T
Komadina
Naomi
N
Lapedes
Alan S
AS
Lin
Yi P
YP
Mosterin
Ana
A
Obuchi
Masatsugu
M
Odagiri
Takato
T
Osterhaus
Albert D M E
AD
Rimmelzwaan
Guus F
GF
Shaw
Michael W
MW
Skepner
Eugene
E
Stohr
Klaus
K
Tashiro
Masato
M
Fouchier
Ron A M
RA
Smith
Derek J
DJ
D000940:Antigenic Variation; D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005544:Forecasting; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D053122:Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D044349:Oceania; D010802:Phylogeny; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012621:Seasons; D013020:South America / Q000453:epidemiology
D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D007252:Influenza Vaccines