Antigenic drift and epidemiological severity of seasonal influenza in Canada
Abstract Seasonal influenza epidemics circulate globally every year with varying levels of severity. One of the major drivers of this seasonal variation is thought to be the antigenic drift of influenza viruses, resulting from the accumulation of mutations in viral surface proteins. In this study, w...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-19996-7 |
| _version_ | 1797274536254636032 |
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| author | Zishu Chen Christina Bancej Liza Lee David Champredon |
| author_facet | Zishu Chen Christina Bancej Liza Lee David Champredon |
| author_sort | Zishu Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Seasonal influenza epidemics circulate globally every year with varying levels of severity. One of the major drivers of this seasonal variation is thought to be the antigenic drift of influenza viruses, resulting from the accumulation of mutations in viral surface proteins. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between the genetic drift of seasonal influenza viruses (A/H1N1, A/H3N2 and B) and the epidemiological severity of seasonal epidemics within a Canadian context. We obtained hemagglutinin protein sequences collected in Canada between the 2006/2007 and 2019/2020 flu seasons from GISAID and calculated Hamming distances in a sequence-based approach to estimating inter-seasonal antigenic differences. We also gathered epidemiological data on cases, hospitalizations and deaths from national surveillance systems and other official sources, as well as vaccine effectiveness estimates to address potential effect modification. These aggregate measures of disease severity were integrated into a single seasonal severity index. We performed linear regressions of our severity index with respect to the inter-seasonal antigenic distances, controlling for vaccine effectiveness. We did not find any evidence of a statistical relationship between antigenic distance and seasonal influenza severity in Canada. Future studies may need to account for additional factors, such as co-circulation of other respiratory pathogens, population imprinting, cohort effects and environmental parameters, which may drive seasonal influenza severity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:59:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cde024667b6a4c81b1b49a63a7b6e8a2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:59:48Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-cde024667b6a4c81b1b49a63a7b6e8a22024-03-05T19:12:59ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-09-011211910.1038/s41598-022-19996-7Antigenic drift and epidemiological severity of seasonal influenza in CanadaZishu Chen0Christina Bancej1Liza Lee2David Champredon3National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Risk Sciences Division, Public Health Agency of CanadaSurveillance and Epidemiology Division, Centre for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Disease, Public Health Agency of CanadaSurveillance and Epidemiology Division, Centre for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Disease, Public Health Agency of CanadaNational Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Risk Sciences Division, Public Health Agency of CanadaAbstract Seasonal influenza epidemics circulate globally every year with varying levels of severity. One of the major drivers of this seasonal variation is thought to be the antigenic drift of influenza viruses, resulting from the accumulation of mutations in viral surface proteins. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between the genetic drift of seasonal influenza viruses (A/H1N1, A/H3N2 and B) and the epidemiological severity of seasonal epidemics within a Canadian context. We obtained hemagglutinin protein sequences collected in Canada between the 2006/2007 and 2019/2020 flu seasons from GISAID and calculated Hamming distances in a sequence-based approach to estimating inter-seasonal antigenic differences. We also gathered epidemiological data on cases, hospitalizations and deaths from national surveillance systems and other official sources, as well as vaccine effectiveness estimates to address potential effect modification. These aggregate measures of disease severity were integrated into a single seasonal severity index. We performed linear regressions of our severity index with respect to the inter-seasonal antigenic distances, controlling for vaccine effectiveness. We did not find any evidence of a statistical relationship between antigenic distance and seasonal influenza severity in Canada. Future studies may need to account for additional factors, such as co-circulation of other respiratory pathogens, population imprinting, cohort effects and environmental parameters, which may drive seasonal influenza severity.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-19996-7 |
| spellingShingle | Zishu Chen Christina Bancej Liza Lee David Champredon Antigenic drift and epidemiological severity of seasonal influenza in Canada Scientific Reports |
| title | Antigenic drift and epidemiological severity of seasonal influenza in Canada |
| title_full | Antigenic drift and epidemiological severity of seasonal influenza in Canada |
| title_fullStr | Antigenic drift and epidemiological severity of seasonal influenza in Canada |
| title_full_unstemmed | Antigenic drift and epidemiological severity of seasonal influenza in Canada |
| title_short | Antigenic drift and epidemiological severity of seasonal influenza in Canada |
| title_sort | antigenic drift and epidemiological severity of seasonal influenza in canada |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-19996-7 |
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