tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Nat Commun
. 2022 Mar 31;13(1):1721.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-29402-5.
Human seasonal influenza under COVID-19 and the potential consequences of influenza lineage elimination
Vijaykrishna Dhanasekaran[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Sheena Sullivan[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kimberly M Edwards[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Ruopeng Xie[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Arseniy Khvorov[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Sophie A Valkenburg[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Benjamin J Cowling[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Ian G Barr[SUP] 3 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Annual epidemics of seasonal influenza cause hundreds of thousands of deaths, high levels of morbidity, and substantial economic loss. Yet, global influenza circulation has been heavily suppressed by public health measures and travel restrictions since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, the influenza B/Yamagata lineage has not been conclusively detected since April 2020, and A(H3N2), A(H1N1), and B/Victoria viruses have since circulated with considerably less genetic diversity. Travel restrictions have largely confined regional outbreaks of A(H3N2) to South and Southeast Asia, B/Victoria to China, and A(H1N1) to West Africa. Seasonal influenza transmission lineages continue to perish globally, except in these select hotspots, which will likely seed future epidemics. Waning population immunity and sporadic case detection will further challenge influenza vaccine strain selection and epidemic control. We offer a perspective on the potential short- and long-term evolutionary dynamics of seasonal influenza and discuss potential consequences and mitigation strategies as global travel gradually returns to pre-pandemic levels.
. 2022 Mar 31;13(1):1721.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-29402-5.
Human seasonal influenza under COVID-19 and the potential consequences of influenza lineage elimination
Vijaykrishna Dhanasekaran[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Sheena Sullivan[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kimberly M Edwards[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Ruopeng Xie[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Arseniy Khvorov[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Sophie A Valkenburg[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Benjamin J Cowling[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Ian G Barr[SUP] 3 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35361789
- DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29402-5
Abstract
Annual epidemics of seasonal influenza cause hundreds of thousands of deaths, high levels of morbidity, and substantial economic loss. Yet, global influenza circulation has been heavily suppressed by public health measures and travel restrictions since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, the influenza B/Yamagata lineage has not been conclusively detected since April 2020, and A(H3N2), A(H1N1), and B/Victoria viruses have since circulated with considerably less genetic diversity. Travel restrictions have largely confined regional outbreaks of A(H3N2) to South and Southeast Asia, B/Victoria to China, and A(H1N1) to West Africa. Seasonal influenza transmission lineages continue to perish globally, except in these select hotspots, which will likely seed future epidemics. Waning population immunity and sporadic case detection will further challenge influenza vaccine strain selection and epidemic control. We offer a perspective on the potential short- and long-term evolutionary dynamics of seasonal influenza and discuss potential consequences and mitigation strategies as global travel gradually returns to pre-pandemic levels.