Genomewide analysis of reassortment and evolution of human influenza A(H3N2) viruses circulating between 1968 and 2011.

ABSTRACT:

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Influenza A(H3N2) viruses became widespread in humans during the 1968 H3N2 virus pandemic and have been a major cause of influenza epidemics ever since. These viruses evolve continuously by reassortment and genomic evolution. Antigenic drift is the cause for the need to update influenza vaccines frequently. Using two data sets that span the entire period of circulation of human influenza A(H3N2) viruses, it was shown that influenza A(H3N2) virus evolution can be mapped to 13 antigenic clusters. Here we analyzed the full genomes of 286 influenza A(H3N2) viruses from these two data sets to investigate the genomic evolution and reassortment patterns. Numerous reassortment events were found, scattered over the entire period of virus circulation, but most prominently in virus

SUBMITTER: Westgeest KB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3958060 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature