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. 2022 Apr;27(15):2200255.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.15.2200255.

Influenza returns with a season dominated by clade 3C.2a1b.2a.2 A(H3N2) viruses, WHO European Region, 2021/22

Angeliki Melidou  1 , Csaba Ködmön  1 , Karen Nahapetyan  2 , Annette Kraus  1 , Erik Alm  1 , Cornelia Adlhoch  1 , Piers Mooks  2 , Nishi Dave  1 , Carlos Carvalho  1 , Margaux Mi Meslé  2 , Rodney Daniels  3 , Richard Pebody  2 ; Members of the WHO European Region influenza surveillance network  4 ; Members of the WHO European Region influenza surveillance network that contributed virus characterisation data
Collaborators, Affiliations

Influenza returns with a season dominated by clade 3C.2a1b.2a.2 A(H3N2) viruses, WHO European Region, 2021/22

Angeliki Melidou et al. Euro Surveill. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

In the WHO European Region, COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions continued slowing influenza circulation in the 2021/22 season, with reduced characterisation data. A(H3) predominated and, in some countries, co-circulated with A(H1)pdm09 and B/Victoria viruses. No B/Yamagata virus detections were confirmed. Substantial proportions of characterised circulating virus subtypes or lineages differed antigenically from their respective northern hemisphere vaccine components. Appropriate levels of influenza virus characterisations should be maintained until the season end and in future seasons, when surveillance is adapted to integrate SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: Europe; influenza virus; pandemic; surveillance; virus characterisation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution over time of the numbers of specimens positive for influenza in primary-care-sentinel surveillance (n = 3,083), as well as the proportions of positive specimens among those tested (n = 39,551), WHO European Region, week 40 2021–week 10 2022
Figure 2
Figure 2
Numbers of antigenic and genetic virus characterisations used for the northern hemisphere Vaccine Composition Meeting decisions in each influenza seasona and numbers of countries reporting such characterisations, WHO European Region, 2016/17–2021/22 (n = 9,319 characterisations)a
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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