title: Influenza C in Lancaster, UK, in the winter of 2014-2015.
abstract: Influenza C is not included in the annual seasonal influenza vaccine, and has historically been regarded as a minor respiratory pathogen. However, recent work has highlighted its potential role as a cause of pneumonia in infants. We performed nasopharyngeal or nasal swabbing and/or serum sampling (n = 148) in Lancaster, UK, over the winter of 2014-2015. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we obtain seropositivity of 77%. By contrast, only 2 individuals, both asymptomatic adults, were influenza C-positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Deep sequencing of nasopharyngeal samples produced partial sequences for 4 genome segments in one of these patients. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the influenza C genome from this individual is evolutionarily distant to those sampled in recent years and represents a novel genome constellation, indicating that it may be a product of a decades-old reassortment event. Although we find no evidence that influenza C was a significant respiratory pathogen during the winter of 2014-2015 in Lancaster, we confirm previous observations of seropositivity in the majority of the population. (170 words).
authors.affiliation: Division of Biomedical & Life Sciences, Faculty of Health & Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YT, UK.|Present address: University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Kate V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.affiliation: Division of Biomedical & Life Sciences, Faculty of Health & Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YT, UK.|Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Ashton Road, Lancaster, LA1 4RP, UK.
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK.
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.affiliation: UMR_D 190, Emergence des Pathologies Virales, Aix-Marseille University, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, Marseille cedex 05, 13005, France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salez
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DA, UK.
authors.forename: Neil R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: McEwan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DA, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hegarty
authors.affiliation: Queen Square Medical Practice, 2 Queen Square, Lancaster, LA1 1RP, UK.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Robey
authors.affiliation: Queen Square Medical Practice, 2 Queen Square, Lancaster, LA1 1RP, UK.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.affiliation: Queen Square Medical Practice, 2 Queen Square, Lancaster, LA1 1RP, UK.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wetherell
authors.affiliation: Division of Biomedical & Life Sciences, Faculty of Health & Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YT, UK.
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lauder
authors.affiliation: Division of Biomedical & Life Sciences, Faculty of Health & Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YT, UK.|Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK.
authors.forename: Roger W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Pickup
authors.affiliation: Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Ashton Road, Lancaster, LA1 4RP, UK.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.affiliation: Division of Biomedical & Life Sciences, Faculty of Health & Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YT, UK. d.gatherer@lancaster.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gatherer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D009982:Gammainfluenzavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology