Genetic characterisation of influenza C viruses detected in Singapore in 2006

Abstract

In an earlier study on respiratory infections in Singapore military recruits, four influenza C virus (FLUCV) infections were detected out of the 1354 samples collected. All four isolates were detected in 2006, and their whole genome was completely sequenced and analysed. Phylogenetic analysis of the hemagglutinin esterase fusion (HEF) gene revealed that all four Singapore isolates belonged to the C/Japan‐Kanagawa/1/76‐related lineage. However, the genes of the four FLUCV isolates had origins from several different lineages, and the genome composition resembles that of the C/Japan‐Miyagi/9/96‐like strains that had been circulating in Japan between 1996 and 2000.

Epidemiology and Clinical Characteristics of Influenza C Virus

“…Collectively, these data indicate that ICV infection is widespread globally with most infections occurring in young children. ICV is uncommon in hospitalized adults but has caused outbreaks in military recruits [84][85][86][87][88]. ICV has been reported among travelers on the Hajj pilgrimage [89].…”

“…Population immunity may contribute to the variability of ICV. Substantial antigenic and genetic diversity exists among ICV isolates; there are six genetic lineages representing six antigenic groups of HEF, with two major genetic lineages of the internal genes [56][57][58][59][60]87,[105][106][107][108][109][110][111]. Elegant longitudinal studies in Japan that compared the antigenic and genetic character of circulating isolates with concurrent serology showed periodic epidemics of ICV every few years.…”

Host Range, Biology, and Species Specificity of Seven-Segmented Influenza Viruses—A Comparative Review on Influenza C and D

“…Similarly, ICV strains from India isolated between 2009-2015, showed close phylogeny of HEF with Sao Paulo and Kanagawa lineages whereas PB2, PB1, M, and NS clustered with C/Yamagata and P3, and NP clustered with C/Mississippi lineages, respectively [132]. Another study from Singapore indicated that ICV strains isolated in 2006 belonged to the C/Kanagawa lineage [133]. Australia also witnessed high rates of ICV infection between 2012 and 2014, and most of these strains belonged to Sao Paulo and Kanagawa lineages [134,135].…”

The continual threat of influenza virus infections at the human–animal interface

“…In Scotland, ICV was present in 0.2% of the 3300 human respiratory samples among patients <2 years or >45 years old during the summer and winter between 2006 and 2008 [ 40 ]. ICV outbreaks were also reported in Singapore, Japan and France between 2004 and 2007 [ 41 ]. Additionally, ICV epidemics have been reported in Australia approximately every 2 years during the years of 2010, 2012 and 2014 [ 42 ].…”