Arencibia A, Acosta B, Valdés O, Piñón A, Savón C, Fernandez L, Medina I, Gonzalez G, Muné M, Goyenechea A, Oropesa S, Gonzalez G, Roque R, Hernandez B, Borroto S, Llanes MJ, Soto Y, Martínez J

Language: English
References: 10
Page: 3502-.3503
PDF size: 229.79 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Influenza is a seasonal acute infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract, which main etiological agents are the influenza A and B viruses. In Cuba, acute respiratory infections generate in average 6 million medical visits yearly, and influenza together with pneumonia is the fourth cause of death among the general population and the first among infectious diseases. Annual vaccination is the main measure of prevention and control, its effectiveness relying on the antigenic homology of vaccine strains and those circulating. However, it is demanding to molecularly characterize the circulating strains to detect any divergence from vaccine strains. Hence, the aim of this work was to genetically characterize influenza viruses circulating in Cuba in the period 2011-2013 and define its impact on the effectiveness of vaccination. Up to 124 clinical samples were selected (nasopharyngeal exudates, bronchial washes and lung biopsies), positive to viruses Influenza A and B, at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of each epidemic period. Viral isolates were characterized by PCR and nucleotide sequencing of the HA1 subunit of the hemagglutinin gene. The phylogenetic analysis of Influenza viruses subtype A and B identified new viral variants with previously unreported antigenic variations in the country, corresponding to subtype A (H1N1pdm09), A (H3N2) and B/Yamagata lineage viruses. This last was different from the respective component of the vaccine strain administered. The results provided evidence suggesting a change in the vaccination strategy for Cuba. This work received the Annual Award of the Cuban Academy of Sciences for the year 2017.

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