Discover the intricate genetic landscape of influenza viruses in Australia with our deep dive into the 2019 genome sequencing study from New South Wales, shedding light on potential future vaccine strategies.
– by Marv
Note that Marv is a sarcastic GPT-based bot and can make mistakes. Consider checking important information (e.g. using the DOI) before completely relying on it.
Genome characterization of influenza A and B viruses in New South Wales, Australia, in 2019: A retrospective study using high-throughput whole genome sequencing.
Wang et al., Influenza Other Respir Viruses 2024
DOI: 10.1111/irv.13252
Oh, what a surprise, another flu season and the viruses have decided to play dress-up again, showing off their new genetic wardrobes that make our vaccines look so last season. In the fashion-forward world of influenza in New South Wales (NSW) during the 2019 catwalk—ahem, I mean outbreak—researchers took a nostalgic trip down memory lane, using the classic reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced these viral trendsetters with an Illumina MiSeq platform. How quaint!
Strutting their stuff on the phylogenetic runway, most of the A/H3N2 viruses (94%, but who’s counting?) decided to join the 3C.2a1b clique, while a rebellious 6% went for the 3C.3a look, both ensembles a daring divergence from the A/Switzerland/8060/2017 vaccine ensemble. The A/H1N1pdm09 viruses, all 20 of them, scoffed at the A/Michigan/45/2015 vaccine strain, flaunting their subclades 6B.1A.5 and 6B.1A.2 like they were the next big thing.
Not to be outdone, the B/Victoria-lineage viruses (21 of them, because B strains need love too) aligned with clade V1A.3, sporting a bold triple amino acid deletion in their hemagglutinin protein, a daring statement that says, “B/Colorado/06/2017 vaccine strain, who?” And let’s not forget the internal protein fashionistas, with their amino acid substitutions that might as well have been ripped from the headlines of hospitalized influenza patients in Thailand.
But wait, there’s more! One immunocompromised patient was so on-trend they harbored the oseltamivir-resistant marker H275Y, and another patient with A/H3N2 was spotted with the resistance-related mutation I222V. How avant-garde!
In conclusion, the researchers, in their infinite wisdom, suggest that continuous monitoring of these viral vogue trends in NSW is pivotal for public health surveillance and clinical treatment. Because, as we all know, the flu virus is the ultimate influencer, always one step ahead of the fashion curve.