Influenza virus characterisation: Summary Europe March 2013

During the 2012–13 season, A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2) and B/Victoria- and B/Yamagata-lineage influenza viruses have been detected in ECDC-affiliated countries. The relative prevalence varied between countries.
• Type A and type B viruses have co-circulated in similar proportions.• A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses have been detected at comparable levels to A(H3N2) viruses.• A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses continued to show genetic drift from the vaccine virus, A/California/07/2009, but the vast majority remained antigenically similar to it.• The vast majority of A(H3N2) viruses have been antigenically and genetically similar to cell-propagated A/Victoria/361/2011, the prototype vaccine virus for the 2012/2013 influenza season.• Viruses of the B/Yamagata lineage predominated over those of the B/Victoria lineage.• B/Victoria lineage viruses were antigenically similar to cell-propagated reference viruses of the B/Brisbane/60/2008 genetic clade.• Recent B/Yamagata-lineage viruses fell into two antigenically distinguishable genetic clades: clade 2, represented by B/Estonia/55669/2012, and clade 3, represented by B/Wisconsin/1/2010 (the recommended vaccine component for the 2012/2013 influenza season).