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The Himalayan Times > Opinion > Type B flu virus: An emerging threat?
Type B flu virus: An emerging threat?
Published: April 05, 2018 12:52 pm On: Opinion
DR SHER BAHADUR PUN
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Type B virus is divided into two lineages known as ?Victoria? and ?Yamagata?. However, no information is publicly available about lineages of type B viruses in Nepal...
In general, symptoms of flu from type A and B viruses are similar. Nonetheless pneumonia, in particular, is found to be more associated with type B flu in children. Some unusual symptoms have also been observed in patients with type B virus this year.
Dozens of patients who have had influenza like illness (later mostly found to have type B flu) showed improvement after treatment, but returned with worse and prolonged cough which was never seen before.
Likewise, some of the patients had developed rashes soon after the symptoms started. Moreover, for the first time patients with influenza B had been admitted to our hospital (Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital), who were treated uneventfully. It shows that type B flu is becoming more common but with unusual symptoms, and perhaps even more severe than it was previously thought.
It is often predicted that diseases circulating in India will also appear sooner or later in Nepal or vice versa due to cross-border movement of people. But it was interesting to notice this year an increase in number of type B viruses in Nepal, while type A virus was circulating and causing hospitalisations ? and even deaths ? in neighbouring India.
At present, the reason for this is not clear, but it can be assumed that type B viruses might have been imported from countries other than India due to rise in global international travel. The other reason, which we can only assume at this point of time, may be Nepalis? more vulnerability to type B virus than type A virus. Only a thorough genetic analysis can help us to arrive at a firm conclusion.
...
So far what we know is type B flu virus mutates slowly than type A flu virus. However, type B flu virus has been found clinically severe similar to type A virus this season. This observation raises some critical questions: Is type B becoming a more virulent flu virus? Does any mutation occur in type B virus? Will type B virus become a pandemic flu in the days to come?
Pun is coordinator at Clinical Research Unit of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Teku
Type B flu virus: An emerging threat?
Published: April 05, 2018 12:52 pm On: Opinion
DR SHER BAHADUR PUN
...
Type B virus is divided into two lineages known as ?Victoria? and ?Yamagata?. However, no information is publicly available about lineages of type B viruses in Nepal...
In general, symptoms of flu from type A and B viruses are similar. Nonetheless pneumonia, in particular, is found to be more associated with type B flu in children. Some unusual symptoms have also been observed in patients with type B virus this year.
Dozens of patients who have had influenza like illness (later mostly found to have type B flu) showed improvement after treatment, but returned with worse and prolonged cough which was never seen before.
Likewise, some of the patients had developed rashes soon after the symptoms started. Moreover, for the first time patients with influenza B had been admitted to our hospital (Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital), who were treated uneventfully. It shows that type B flu is becoming more common but with unusual symptoms, and perhaps even more severe than it was previously thought.
It is often predicted that diseases circulating in India will also appear sooner or later in Nepal or vice versa due to cross-border movement of people. But it was interesting to notice this year an increase in number of type B viruses in Nepal, while type A virus was circulating and causing hospitalisations ? and even deaths ? in neighbouring India.
At present, the reason for this is not clear, but it can be assumed that type B viruses might have been imported from countries other than India due to rise in global international travel. The other reason, which we can only assume at this point of time, may be Nepalis? more vulnerability to type B virus than type A virus. Only a thorough genetic analysis can help us to arrive at a firm conclusion.
...
So far what we know is type B flu virus mutates slowly than type A flu virus. However, type B flu virus has been found clinically severe similar to type A virus this season. This observation raises some critical questions: Is type B becoming a more virulent flu virus? Does any mutation occur in type B virus? Will type B virus become a pandemic flu in the days to come?
Pun is coordinator at Clinical Research Unit of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Teku
