Influenza lineage extinction during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Marios Koutsakos; Adam K Wheatley; Karen Laurie; Stephen J Kent; Steve Rockman

doi:10.1038/s41579-021-00642-4

Influenza lineage extinction during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Nat Rev Microbiol. 2021 Dec;19(12):741-742. doi: 10.1038/s41579-021-00642-4.

Authors

Marios Koutsakos¹, Adam K Wheatley², Karen Laurie³, Stephen J Kent^{2

4}, Steve Rockman^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. marios.koutsakos@unimelb.edu.au.
² Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
³ Seqirus Ltd, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ Melbourne Sexual Health Centre and Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has seen a notable global reduction in influenza cases of both influenza A and B viruses. In particular, the B/Yamagata lineage has not been isolated from April 2020 to August 2021, suggesting that this influenza lineage may have become extinct, which may provide opportunities for improving availability and effectiveness of influenza vaccines.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Alphainfluenzavirus / genetics*
Betainfluenzavirus / genetics*
COVID-19 / virology*
Evolution, Molecular
Extinction, Biological*
Global Health / statistics & numerical data*
Humans
Influenza, Human / epidemiology*
SARS-CoV-2 / genetics
SARS-CoV-2 / pathogenicity