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.

• What to expect this influenza season - Contemporary Pediatrics
  Thu, 29 Sep 2022 18:07 GMT
• Influenza case confirmed in Yellowstone Co. - NBC Montana
  Thu, 29 Sep 2022 21:55 GMT
• Influenza increases risk of heart attack - Dominican Today
  Wed, 28 Sep 2022 16:34 GMT
• New recommendations for the composition of influenza vaccines in 2023 for the southern hemisphere - World Health Organization
  Fri, 23 Sep 2022 13:01 GMT
• For the birds: Battling the threat of avian influenza | Cornell Chronicle - Cornell Chronicle
  Wed, 28 Sep 2022 15:27 GMT
• Influenza effects and prevention in children - Contemporary Pediatrics
  Wed, 28 Sep 2022 19:51 GMT
• 2022-2023 Influenza Season Looks to Be Severe - Pharmacy Times
  Thu, 22 Sep 2022 20:50 GMT
• Health Advisory: Variant Influenza Virus Infections: Summer and Fall 2022 Recommendations - City of St. Louis
  Thu, 01 Sep 2022 07:00 GMT
• The evolutionary footprint of influenza A subtype H3N2 strains in Bangladesh: implication of vaccine strain selection | Scientific Reports - Nature.com
  Wed, 28 Sep 2022 12:21 GMT
• Is A Universal Influenza Vaccine— One Shot For All Strains— On The Horizon? - Forbes
  Mon, 26 Sep 2022 14:13 GMT
• Influenza Diagnostics Market worth $1.1 billion by 2026 - Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets - GlobeNewswire
  Thu, 29 Sep 2022 14:30 GMT
• Seventy years of GISRS – the Global Influenza Surveillance & Response System - World Health Organization
  Mon, 19 Sep 2022 07:00 GMT
• Walz lifts trucking restrictions in response to avian influenza - brownfieldagnews.com
  Thu, 29 Sep 2022 19:27 GMT
• Swine Influenza A Virus (Swine Flu) | Georgia Department of Public Health - Georgia.gov
  Fri, 16 Sep 2022 07:00 GMT
• American Academy of Pediatrics Urges Families to Get Children Vaccinated for Influenza to Prevent and Control Illness in 2022-23 - American Academy of Pediatrics
  Tue, 06 Sep 2022 07:00 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

• SARS-CoV-2 infections in professional orchestra and choir musicians-a prospective cohort study Thu, 29 Sep 2022 06:00:00 -0400
  During the COVID-19 pandemic, rehearsal and concert activities of professional orchestras and choirs were severely restricted based on the assumption of particularly high infection risks associated with wind instruments and singing. Therefore, our primary objective was to determine the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in orchestra and choir musicians compared to controls. We also assessed influenza, flu, upper respiratory tract infections, and course of illness. Musicians from professional...
• Recent Developments in Single-Virus Fusion Assay Thu, 29 Sep 2022 06:00:00 -0400
  Viral infection is a global health hazard. A crucial step in the infection cycle of enveloped viruses is the fusion of viral and host cellular membranes, which permits the transfer of the viral genome to the host cells. Membrane fusion is a ubiquitous process involved in sperm-egg fusion, exocytosis, vesicular trafficking, and viral entry to host cells. While different protein machineries catalyze the diverse fusion processes, the essential step, i.e., merging of two lipid bilayers against a...
• The importance of viruses in ventilator-associated pneumonia Thu, 29 Sep 2022 06:00:00 -0400
  CONCLUSION: Although infrequent, a range of viruses may cause VAP. Viruses more often complicate SCT and immunosuppression, but one can isolate viruses in immunocompetent subjects. Viral VAP produces severe infection and results in high mortality rates. Clinical features do not differentiate viral from nonviral VAP.
• Etiologies of outpatient medically attended acute respiratory infections among young Ecuadorian children prior to the start of the 2020 SARS-CoV-2 pandemic Thu, 29 Sep 2022 06:00:00 -0400
  CONCLUSIONS: Ongoing regional surveillance studies are necessary to optimize available and emerging pathogen-specific preventative measures.
• Omicron Subvariants: Clinical, Laboratory, and Cell Culture Characterization Thu, 29 Sep 2022 06:00:00 -0400
  CONCLUSIONS: Omicron subvariants continue to associate with a relatively high positivity and admissions. The BA.5 infections are more while BA.2 infections are less likely to have infectious virus, suggesting potential differences in infectibility during the Omicron waves.
• Airway pathogens detected in stable and exacerbated COPD in patients in Asia-Pacific Thu, 29 Sep 2022 06:00:00 -0400
  CONCLUSION: In patients with COPD in the Asia-Pacific region, the presence of Hi, Mcat or HRV in sputum samples significantly increased the odds of an exacerbation, providing further evidence of potential roles in triggering AECOPD.
• Burden of influenza hospitalization among high-risk groups in the United States Wed, 28 Sep 2022 06:00:00 -0400
  CONCLUSIONS: The risk of influenza-related complications is elevated in the elderly, especially those with certain underlying comorbidities, leading to excess healthcare resource utilization. Continued efforts, beyond currently available vaccines, are needed to reduce influenza burden in high-risk populations.
• Pneumococcal vaccination coverage in individuals (16-59 years) with a newly diagnosed risk condition in Germany Wed, 28 Sep 2022 06:00:00 -0400
  CONCLUSION: Despite recommendations from STIKO, pneumococcal vaccination coverage remains very low and with long delays in vulnerable individuals aged 16-59 in Germany. Further efforts are required to increase immunization levels and shorten time to vaccination among individuals 16-59 years of age developing conditions with higher susceptibility to pneumococcal infection.
• Assessing the fitness of a dual-antiviral drug resistant human influenza virus in the ferret model Wed, 28 Sep 2022 06:00:00 -0400
  Influenza antivirals are important tools in our fight against annual influenza epidemics and future influenza pandemics. Combinations of antivirals may reduce the likelihood of drug resistance and improve clinical outcomes. Previously, two hospitalised immunocompromised influenza patients, who received a combination of a neuraminidase inhibitor and baloxavir marboxil, shed influenza viruses resistant to both drugs. Here-in, the replicative fitness of one of these A(H1N1)pdm09 virus isolates with...
• The evolutionary footprint of influenza A subtype H3N2 strains in Bangladesh: implication of vaccine strain selection Wed, 28 Sep 2022 06:00:00 -0400
  In February each year, World Health Organization (WHO) recommends candidate vaccine viruses for the forthcoming northern hemisphere (NH) season; however, the influenza season in the temperate zone of NH begins in October. During egg- or cell culture-propagation, the vaccine viruses become too old to confer the highest match with the latest strains, impacting vaccine effectiveness. Therefore, an alternative strategy like mRNA-based vaccine using the most recent strains should be considered. We...