Identification of H3N2 NA and PB1-F2 genetic variants and their association with disease symptoms during the 2014-15 influenza season

The 2014-15 influenza season saw the emergence of an H3N2 antigenic drift variant that formed the 3C.2a HA clade. Whole viral genomes were sequenced from nasopharyngeal swabs of 94 patients with confirmed influenza A virus infection and primary human nasal epithelial cell cultures used to efficiently isolate H3N2 viruses. The isolates were classified by HA clade and the presence of a new set of co-selected mutations in NA (a glycosylation site, NAg+) and PB1-F2 (H75P). The NA and PB1-F2 mutations were present in a subset of clade 3C.2a viruses (NAg+F2P) which dominated during the subsequent influenza seasons. In human nasal epithelial cell cultures, a virus with the novel NAg+F2P genotype replicated less well compared to a virus with the parental genotype. Retrospective analyses of clinical data showed that NAg+F2P genotype viruses were associated with increased cough and shortness of breath in infected patients.