Influenza C in Lancaster, UK, in the winter of 2014-2015

Sci Rep. 2017 Apr 13:7:46578. doi: 10.1038/srep46578.

Abstract

Influenza C is not included in the annual seasonal influenza vaccine, and has historically been regarded as a minor respiratory pathogen. However, recent work has highlighted its potential role as a cause of pneumonia in infants. We performed nasopharyngeal or nasal swabbing and/or serum sampling (n = 148) in Lancaster, UK, over the winter of 2014-2015. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we obtain seropositivity of 77%. By contrast, only 2 individuals, both asymptomatic adults, were influenza C-positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Deep sequencing of nasopharyngeal samples produced partial sequences for 4 genome segments in one of these patients. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the influenza C genome from this individual is evolutionarily distant to those sampled in recent years and represents a novel genome constellation, indicating that it may be a product of a decades-old reassortment event. Although we find no evidence that influenza C was a significant respiratory pathogen during the winter of 2014-2015 in Lancaster, we confirm previous observations of seropositivity in the majority of the population. (170 words).

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Multicenter Study
  • Observational Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Gammainfluenzavirus* / genetics
  • Gammainfluenzavirus* / immunology
  • Humans
  • Influenza, Human* / epidemiology
  • Influenza, Human* / genetics
  • Influenza, Human* / immunology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Phylogeny*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • United Kingdom / epidemiology