Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analyses of two neuraminidases from influenza B virus strains B/Hong Kong/8/73 and B/Lee/40.

SummaryThe technique of radial haemolysis (SRH) was used to assess the response to infection with different strains of influenza B virus, to determine the persistence of antibody following such infection and to examine sera from boys entering school at age 11 years. The technique detected 95 % of infections and in primary infection the antibody response was mainly to the infecting strain. Re-infections resulted in a broad response, both to the homotypic strain and to strains more distantly related. Antibody to the homotypic strain persisted for at least 3 years but in some individuals the reaction with heterotypic strains tended to become weaker – resulting in zones of incomplete lysis – or was lost. Examination of the sera collected on entry to the school showed that about 60 % of the boys bled before B/Hong Kong became widespread in the United Kingdom had antibody to strains representative of those isolated in the 1960s and few boys had antibody to B/Hong Kong. After 1974 antibody to B/Hong Kong and later strains became more common while antibody to earlier strains was less frequently detected. The significance of the results as an estimate of past experience is discussed.

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Genome analysis of influenza B virus strains isolated during epidemics in boarding schools

Archives of Virology ◽

10.1007/bf01309894 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 89 (1-4) ◽

pp. 255-259

Author(s):

A. M. Tikhonova-Heider ◽

A. I. Klimov ◽

A. J. Smith ◽

B. Grilli ◽

J. S. Oxford ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genome Analysis ◽

Boarding Schools ◽

Influenza B Virus ◽

Influenza B ◽

B Virus ◽

Virus Strains

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Mild to moderate influenza activity in Europe and the detection of novel A(H1N2) and B viruses during the winter of 2001-02

Eurosurveillance ◽

10.2807/esm.07.11.00373-en ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 7 (11) ◽

pp. 147-157 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

W J Paget ◽

T J Meerhoff ◽

N L Goddard ◽

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Influenza A ◽

Historical Data ◽

Influenza B Virus ◽

Influenza B ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

H1n2 Virus ◽

B Virus ◽

Influenza Activity ◽

Virus Strains

Influenza activity in Europe during the 2001-02 influenza season was mild to moderate. Compared to historical data, the intensity was low in six countries, medium in eleven and high in one country (Spain). The dominant virus circulating in Europe was influenza A(H3N2). Two novel influenza virus strains were isolated during the 2001-02 season: influenza A(H1N2) viruses (mainly isolated in the United Kingdom and Ireland, but also in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Romania), and influenza B viruses belonging to the B/Victoria/2/87 lineage (mainly isolated in Germany, but also sporadically in France, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway). With the exception of H1N2 virus detections in England, and Ireland and the influenza B viruses belonging to the B/Victoria/2/87 lineage in Germany, these two viruses did not circulate widely in Europe and did not play an important role in influenza activity during the 2001-02 season. An influenza B virus belonging to the B/Victoria/2/87 lineage will be included in the 2002-03 influenza vaccine. The new subtype influenza A(H1N2) is covered by the 2002-03 vaccine, as the haemagglutinin and neuraminidase components of the H1N2 viruses are antigenically similar to the vaccine components (H1N1 and H3N2).

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COMPARISONS OF INFLUENZA VIRUS STRAINS FROM THREE EPIDEMICS

Journal of Experimental Medicine ◽

10.1084/jem.86.5.367 ◽

1947 ◽

Vol 86 (5) ◽

pp. 367-381 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

George K. Hirst

Keyword(s):

Influenza Virus ◽

Influenza A ◽

Strain Differences ◽

Significant Degree ◽

Influenza B Virus ◽

Influenza B ◽

B Virus ◽

The Difference ◽

Virus Strains ◽

Better Than

Some of the peculiarities of strains of influenza A and B virus from two epidemics have been described. The influenza B virus of 1945–46, when compared with influenza A virus, proved to be much more difficult to isolate from human sources by any known means. Its adaptation to the chick embryo (by any route) or to mice was much slower than that of A virus. It did not keep nearly as well on storage at –72°C. either in throat garglings or as passage material. Its adaptation to amniotic growth was usually much better than to allantoic growth even after repeated allantoic passages. It failed to show primary evidence of occurring in the O form, although many of the secondary O characteristics were present and persisted. Its titer in throat washings was not demonstrably high as compared with certain strains of A virus, which were demonstrated in garglings at dilutions of 10–5 and 10–6. The antigenic patterns of influenza A strains from two epidemics were compared. No antigenic differences of significant degree were found among the strains of either epidemic and the difference between the strains of the two epidemics was very slight. A similar study was made of the influenza B strains of the epidemic of 1945–46. This also showed complete lack of significant strain differences. The implications of these findings for influenza prophylaxis are discussed.

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Heterogeneity of Influenza B Virus Strains in One Epidemic Season Differentiated by Monoclonal Antibodies and Nucleotide Sequences

Journal of Clinical Microbiology ◽

10.1128/jcm.38.9.3467-3469.2000 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 38 (9) ◽

pp. 3467-3469 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Naoko Nakagawa ◽

Ritsuko Kubota ◽

Akiko Maeda ◽

Toshimasa Nakagawa ◽

Yoshinobu Okuno

Keyword(s):

Influenza Season ◽

Nucleotide Sequences ◽

Single Amino Acid ◽

Influenza B Virus ◽

Influenza B ◽

Amino Acid Substitutions ◽

Epidemic Season ◽

B Virus ◽

The Difference ◽

Virus Strains

Seventy-three B/Victoria group strains isolated in the 1996–1997 influenza season were divided into three groups according to the degree of reactivity to monoclonal antibody 8E6. Analysis of nucleotide sequences of the HA1 region clarified that single amino acid substitutions were responsible for the difference in reactivity to 8E6.

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