title: The global circulation of seasonal influenza A (H3N2) viruses.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Colin A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Terry C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Ian G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.forename: Nancy J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Garten
authors.forename: Vicky
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: Ian D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Gust
authors.forename: Alan W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Hampson
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hay
authors.forename: Aeron C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hurt
authors.forename: Jan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kelso
authors.forename: Alexander I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Klimov
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kageyama
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Komadina
authors.forename: Alan S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lapedes
authors.forename: Yi P
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mosterin
authors.forename: Masatsugu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Obuchi
authors.forename: Takato
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Odagiri
authors.forename: Albert D M E
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
authors.forename: Guus F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Rimmelzwaan
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Skepner
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stohr
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tashiro
authors.forename: Ron A M
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Fouchier
authors.forename: Derek J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D007252:Influenza Vaccines