Co-circulation of two genetically distinct sub-groups of A/H3N2 influenza strains during the 2006-2007 epidemic season in Corsica Island, France. Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology [J Clin Virol] Journal article

Title	Co-circulation of two genetically distinct sub-groups of A/H3N2 influenza strains during the 2006-2007 epidemic season in Corsica Island, France.
Author(s)	Falchi A, Varesi L, Arena C, Leveque N, Renois F, Blanchon T, Amoros JP, Andreoletti L
Institution	INSERM, U707, Paris, F-75012, France; UPMC University Paris 06, UMR S 707 Paris, F-75012, France.
Source	J Clin Virol 2009 Jun 5.
Abstract	BACKGROUND: Influenza virus is one of the major viral respiratory pathogens infecting human beings. OBJECTIVES: To determine the influenza A virus variants responsible for the 2006-2007 epidemic season in Corsica Island, France. STUDY DESIGN: Of 134 nasal samples of adult patients tested by culture and RT-PCR assays, 85 influenza A strains were identified; 81 (95%) were sub-typed as A/H3N2 and 4 (5%) were sub-typed as A/H1N1. RESULTS: All of the HA sequences of the A/H3N2 viruses circulating in Corsica Island appeared to be closely related to the A/Wisconsin/67/2005 vaccine strain and segregated into two sub-groups that were genetically distinct from other viruses circulating in other countries during 2006/2007. One of these sub-groups was distinguished by the substitution H156Q whereas the second demonstrated at least one of the 3 other additional mutations (R142G, L157S and K173E) common to the HA1 sequence of A/Nepal/921/2006 reference strain. Among the 14 strains of this second sub-group, 10 viral strains had been isolated from vaccinated adult patients. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that a prospective analysis of the HA sequences of influenza isolates may allow an early detection of newly evolved variants with potential epidemiological inference.
Language	ENG
Pub Type(s)	JOURNAL ARTICLE
PubMed ID	19502107

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