Influenza Virus Net is the web resource for anyone interested in influenza and flu pandemics. Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae (the influenza viruses), that affects humans, birds and other mammals. The virus spreads easily from person to person. Influenza circulates worldwide and can affect anybody in any age group. Influenza causes annual epidemics that peak during winter in temperate regions. Influenza is a serious public health problem that causes severe illnesses and deaths for higher risk populations. The most common symptoms of the disease are chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness/fatigue and general discomfort. Sore throat, fever and coughs are the most frequent symptoms. In more serious cases, influenza causes pneumonia, which can be fatal, particularly for the young and the elderly. An influenza epidemic can take an economic toll through lost workforce productivity, and strain health services. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent infection.

The objectives of Influenza Virus Net are to be the public and professional information resource for influenza and to serve as a network in the exchange of information and news related to influenza.

• UKHSA detects human case of influenza A(H1N2)v - GOV.UK
  Mon, 27 Nov 2023 12:39 GMT
• UK detects its first human case of swine flu strain - The Guardian
  Mon, 27 Nov 2023 13:14 GMT
• The U.K. has detected its first human case of a new type of swine flu. What you need to know - Fortune
  Mon, 27 Nov 2023 19:18 GMT
• New Swine Flu Strain Discovered in a Human in The UK For The First Time - ScienceAlert
  Wed, 29 Nov 2023 06:36 GMT
• Swine flu: UK reports its first human case of A(H1N2)v strain - The BMJ
  Tue, 28 Nov 2023 16:07 GMT
• Swine flu in the UK: what we know so far - The Guardian
  Mon, 27 Nov 2023 16:25 GMT
• Flu on the rise in multiple Northern Hemisphere regions - University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  Tue, 28 Nov 2023 21:05 GMT
• N.B. COVID-19 death toll increases by 2, positivity rate increases to 16% - CBC.ca
  Tue, 28 Nov 2023 20:31 GMT
• H9N2 avian influenza virus or bird flu: Causes, symptoms and preventive measures - IndiaTimes
  Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:27 GMT
• Influenza Activity Update 11-24-23 - Suffolk County Government (.gov)
  Tue, 28 Nov 2023 20:20 GMT
• 2022-2023 influenza season classified as high severity - Contemporary Pediatrics
  Tue, 28 Nov 2023 20:19 GMT
• What is influenza B? | Louisville, Ky - Norton Healthcare
  Mon, 20 Nov 2023 08:00 GMT
• Reduction in influenza, RSV during COVID-19 pandemic linked to ... - Healio
  Wed, 29 Nov 2023 12:45 GMT
• Influenza A and B: What to Know About Symptoms and Treatments ... - The New York Times
  Mon, 13 Nov 2023 08:00 GMT
• Influenza A: Mother searches for tattoo artist to honor late daughter - Fox 28
  Wed, 29 Nov 2023 04:10 GMT

• PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (116): Europe (Russia) zoo, wild bird, backyard, HPAI H5N1, OIE
  Mon, 20 Sep 2021 15:46:50 -0400
  Avian Influenza H5N1 -- Russia
  Summary
  Report type: immediate notification
  Started: 27 Aug 2021
  Confirmed: 2 Sep 2021
  Reported: 15 Sep 2021
  Reason for notification: recurrence
  Last occurrence: 13 Dec 2020
  Causal agent: highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
  Serotype: H5N1
  Nature of diagnosis: clinical, laboratory
  This event pertains to a defined zone within the country.
  New outbreaks (3)
  Summary of outbreaks
  Total outbreaks (3)
  Outbreak location 1: Zateryanny mir, Chelyabinsk gorsovet,


• PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza, human (20): Cambodia (SI) H9N2
  Sun, 19 Sep 2021 19:23:42 -0400
  Avian Influenza -- Cambodia
  Abstract
  ---------
  In February 2021, routine sentinel surveillance for influenza-like illness in Cambodia detected a human avian influenza A(H9N2) virus infection. Investigations identified no recent H9N2 virus infections in 43 close contacts. One chicken sample from the infected child's house was positive for H9N2 virus and genetically similar to the human virus.
  --
  Communicated by:
  Jurre Siegers
  Institute Pasteur du Cambodge
  
  [ProMED thanks Jurre Siegers for sharing the early

• Itaconate as a key regulator of respiratory disease Wed, 29 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0500
  Macrophage activation results in the accumulation of endogenous metabolites capable of adopting immunomodulatory roles; one such bioactive metabolite is itaconate. After macrophage stimulation, the TCA-cycle intermediate cis-aconitate is converted to itaconate (by aconitate decarboxylase-1, ACOD1) in the mitochondrial matrix. Recent studies have highlighted the potential of targeting itaconate as a therapeutic strategy for lung diseases such as asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and...
• Safety and immunogenicity of influenza A(H3N2) component vaccine in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus Wed, 29 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0500
  CONCLUSION: This is the first study that identified adequate immune protection against H3N2-influenza strain with additional vaccine-induced increment of immune response and an adequate safety profile in JSLE. ( www.
• Sense of community belonging and influenza vaccine uptake in Canada Tue, 28 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0500
  CONCLUSION: Canadians with a strong SoCB had modestly higher uptake of seasonal influenza vaccines. While the association is modest, findings suggest that SoCB may be an important component to investigate further and to consider in efforts aimed to increase the uptake of seasonal influenza vaccines.
• Generation of "OP7 chimera" defective interfering influenza A particle preparations free of infectious virus that show antiviral efficacy in mice Tue, 28 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0500
  Influenza A virus (IAV) defective interfering particles (DIPs) are considered as new promising antiviral agents. Conventional DIPs (cDIPs) contain a deletion in the genome and can only replicate upon co-infection with infectious standard virus (STV), during which they suppress STV replication. We previously discovered a new type of IAV DIP "OP7" that entails genomic point mutations and displays higher antiviral efficacy than cDIPs. To avoid safety concerns for the medical use of OP7...
• Co-administration of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza vaccines in healthcare workers: Results of two vaccination campaigns in a large teaching hospital in Rome Tue, 28 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0500
  The concurrent administration of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines has arisen as a promising approach to bolster protection against respiratory pathogens and improve vaccination rates. However, there remains a lack of data regarding the prevalence of co-administration across several vaccination campaigns, especially among healthcare workers (HCWs). Therefore, this study aims to shed light on the acceptance of co-administration strategies among HCWs during the two campaigns following the...
• In vitro activity of ceftaroline against bacterial isolates causing skin and soft tissue and respiratory tract infections collected in Latin American countries, ATLAS program 2016-2020 Tue, 28 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0500
  CONCLUSION: Ceftaroline was active against the recent collection of bacterial pathogens commonly causing SSTIs and RTIs in LATAM. Local and regional surveillance of antimicrobial resistance patterns are crucial to understand evolving resistance and guide treatment management.
• Mutations in HA and PA affect the transmissibility of H7N9 avian influenza virus in chickens Tue, 28 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0500
  Low pathogenic (LP) H7N9 avian influenza virus (AIV) emerged in 2013 and had spread widely over several months in China, experienced a noteworthy reduction in isolation rate in poultry and human since 2017. Here, we examined the transmission of H7N9 viruses to better understand viral spread and dissemination mechanisms. Three out of four viruses (2013-2016) could transmit in chickens through direct contact, and airborne transmission was confirmed in the JT157 (2016) virus. However, we did not...
• Interim results from a phase I randomized, placebo-controlled trial of novel SARS-CoV-2 beta variant receptor-binding domain recombinant protein and mRNA vaccines as a 4th dose booster Tue, 28 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0500
  BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 booster vaccination should ideally enhance protection against variants and minimise immune imprinting. This Phase I trial evaluated two vaccines targeting SARS-CoV-2 beta-variant receptor-binding domain (RBD): a recombinant dimeric RBD-human IgG(1) F(c)-fusion protein, and an mRNA encoding a membrane-anchored RBD.
• Influenza in Pregnancy: Prevention and Treatment Tue, 28 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0500
  Pregnant and postpartum individuals are at significantly higher risk of serious complications related to seasonal and pandemic influenza infections compared with nonpregnant people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend that all adults receive an annual influenza vaccine and that individuals who are or will be pregnant during influenza season receive an inactivated or recombinant influenza vaccine as soon as it...
• Ultraviolet-C light at 222 nm has a high disinfecting spectrum in environments contaminated by infectious pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2 Tue, 28 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0500
  Ultraviolet light (UV) acts as a powerful disinfectant and can prevent contamination of personal hygiene from various contaminated environments. The 222-nm wavelength of UV-C has a highly effective sterilization activity and is safer than 275-nm UV-C. We investigated the irradiation efficacy of 222-nm UV-C against contaminating bacteria and viruses in liquid and fabric environments. We conducted colony-forming unit assays to determine the number of viable cells and a 50% tissue culture...