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.

• South Africa reports increase in influenza - Outbreak News Today - Outbreak News Today
  Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:40 GMT
• Rapid evolution of A(H5N1) influenza viruses after intercontinental spread to North America - Nature.com
  Mon, 29 May 2023 09:24 GMT
• Aussies hit with numerous flus, Covid-19 as expert notes disturbing trend - Daily Mail
  Mon, 05 Jun 2023 05:55 GMT
• Impact of the 2022 avian influenza epidemic in the US - Poultry World
  Mon, 05 Jun 2023 08:30 GMT
• Health Department concerned over steadily rising flu cases in six provinces - News24
  Sun, 04 Jun 2023 07:06 GMT
• Somethings Happening with Bird Flu - Precision Vaccinations
  Sun, 04 Jun 2023 14:12 GMT
• Public warned about rising cases of flu which can cause severe illness, hospitalization, or cause death - IOL
  Sun, 04 Jun 2023 13:19 GMT
• Clinical trial of mRNA universal influenza vaccine candidate begins - nih.gov
  Mon, 15 May 2023 07:00 GMT
• A pan-influenza antibody inhibiting neuraminidase via receptor mimicry - Nature.com
  Wed, 31 May 2023 15:21 GMT
• Australian garlic variety can limit internal spread of COVID and influenza A, Doherty Institute finds - ABC News
  Wed, 31 May 2023 05:05 GMT
• Avian Influenza A(H5N1) - United Kingdom of Great Britain and ... - World Health Organization
  Tue, 30 May 2023 16:00 GMT
• H5N6 avian influenza case reported in Sichuan province, China ... - Outbreak News Today
  Mon, 05 Jun 2023 12:50 GMT
• Influenza - Our World in Data
  Thu, 18 May 2023 09:50 GMT
• A World Leader in Influenza Vaccines | CSL Seqirus - CSL Limited
  Thu, 01 Jun 2023 11:56 GMT
• Influenza kills 4 kids, downs 160 people in South Cotabato - Rappler
  Mon, 05 Jun 2023 12:08 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

• Beyond the state of the art of reverse vaccinology: predicting vaccine efficacy with the universal immune system simulator for influenza Sun, 04 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  When it was first introduced in 2000, reverse vaccinology was defined as an in silico approach that begins with the pathogen's genomic sequence. It concludes with a list of potential proteins with a possible, but not necessarily, list of peptide candidates that need to be experimentally confirmed for vaccine production. During the subsequent years, reverse vaccinology has dramatically changed: now it consists of a large number of bioinformatics tools and processes, namely subtractive proteomics,...
• Analyzing immune responses to varied mRNA and protein vaccine sequences Sun, 04 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, different types of vaccines, such as inactive, live-attenuated, messenger RNA (mRNA), and protein subunit, have been developed against SARS-CoV-2. This has unintentionally created a unique scenario where heterologous prime-boost vaccination against a single virus has been administered to a large human population. Here, we aimed to analyze whether the immunization order of vaccine types influences the efficacy of heterologous prime-boost vaccination,...
• Early detection of emerging infectious diseases - implications for vaccine development Sun, 04 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  Vast quantities of open-source data from news reports, social media and other sources can be harnessed using artificial intelligence and machine learning, and utilised to generate valid early warning signals of emerging epidemics. Early warning signals from open-source data are not a replacement for traditional, validated disease surveillance, but provide a trigger for earlier investigation and diagnostics. This may yield earlier pathogen characterisation and genomic data, which can enable...
• Pytiriasis lichenoide chronica following influenza vaccination, and review of the literature Sun, 04 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  No abstract
• Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions on circulating respiratory viruses during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey Sun, 04 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  CONCLUSIONS: NPIs resulted in a dramatic decrease in the prevalence of respiratory viruses and notable disruption of seasonal characteristics.
• An IL-17-EGFR-TRAF4 axis contributes to the alleviation of lung inflammation in severe influenza Sat, 03 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  Excessive inflammation is a postulated cause of severe disease and death in respiratory virus infections. In response to severe influenza virus infection, adoptively transferred naïve hemagglutinin-specific CD4^(+) T cells from CD4^(+) TCR-transgenic 6.5 mice drive an IFN-γ-producing Th1 response in wild-type mice. It helps in virus clearance but also causes collateral damage and disease aggravation. The donor 6.5 mice have all the CD4^(+) T cells with TCR specificity toward influenza...
• Does the Combination of Finnish Sauna Bathing and Other Lifestyle Factors Confer Additional Health Benefits? A Review of the Evidence Sat, 03 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  Sauna bathing, a tradition deeply rooted in the Finnish culture, has been used for thousands of years for leisure, relaxation, and wellness. Sauna bathing is linked with substantial health benefits beyond its use for leisure and relaxation. Several observational and interventional studies suggest that regular or frequent sauna bathing reduces the incidence of vascular and nonvascular diseases, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and respiratory conditions; may improve the...
• Development of MDCK-based quadrivalent split seasonal influenza virus vaccine with high safety and immunoprotection: A preclinical study Sat, 03 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  Vaccination remains the best prevention strategy against influenza. The MDCK-based influenza vaccine prompted the development of innovative cell culture manufacturing processes. In the present study, we report the effects of multiple administrations of a candidate, seasonal, MDCK-based, quadrivalent split influenza virus vaccine MDCK-QIV in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Moreover, the effects of the vaccine were evaluated in terms of fertility and early embryonic development, embryo-fetal...
• Gain-of-function and origin of Covid19 Sat, 03 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  In nature, wild viruses adapted for transmission circulate in many animal species (bats, birds, primates...). Contamination of other animals, including humans, may occur by crossing of the species barrier. Genetic manipulations have been carried out on wild viruses to favor the species jumping and to increase of viral virulence. The aim was to identify the critical genes for pathogenicity. This has been mainly performed on potentially epidemic pathogens, as Myxovirus influenzae of avian flu and...
• Epidemiological characteristics of seasonal influenza under implementation of zero-COVID-19 strategy in China Sat, 03 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  CONCLUSIONS: Our results reinforce the hypothesis that zero-COVID-19 strategy may impact the epidemiological pattern of influenza. Under the complex pandemic situation, implementation of NPIs could be a beneficial strategy containing not only COVID-19 but also influenza.