Research progress in antigenic evolution of influenza A (H3N2) virus / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Influenza viruses are common pathogens causing respiratory infections in humans. Among the four seasonal influenza viruses, influenza A virus H3N2 has become the leading cause of seasonal influenza illness and death, posing a great threat to public health and the economy. Since it first emerged and caused a pandemic in 1968, H3N2 has been circulating repeatedly in human beings and continually evades host immune attack by antigenic drift, resulting in a decrease in vaccine efficacy. In this paper, the antigenic evolution of influenza A virus H3N2, the impact of antigenic evolution on the selection of vaccine strains and some models for predicting the evolution of influenza viruses were analyzed and reviewed, which paved the road for understanding the antigenic evolution of influenza virus and vaccine development.