A Rare Appearance of Influenza A(H1N2) as a Reassortant in a Community Such as Yamagata Where A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) Co-Circulate

• Published in: Microbiology and immunology 2003-01, Vol.47 (5), p.359-361
• Main Authors: Mizuta, Katsumi, Katsushima, Noriko, Ito, Sueshi, Sanjoh, Kanako, Murata, Toshio, Abiko, Chieko, Murayama, Shoko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; Humans; Influenza A virus - classification; Influenza A virus - genetics; Influenza A virus - isolation & purification; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype; influenza a(H1N2); Influenza, Human - epidemiology; Influenza, Human - virology; Japan - epidemiology; Microbiology; reassortant; Reassortant Viruses - classification; Reassortant Viruses - genetics; Reassortant Viruses - isolation & purification; reassortment; Recombination, Genetic; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
• ISSN: 0385-5600; 1348-0421
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2003.tb03407.x

To find a new influenza subtype A(H1N2), 383 isolates identified as H1 by hemagglutination inhibition test between the 1998–1999 and 2001–2002 seasons in Yamagata, Japan, were screened by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. As a result, 3 strains from the 1999–2000 season were identified as possibly being A(H1N2). Although several of their clones were found to be A(H1N2), A(H1N1) and A(H3N2), we could not confirm the origin of the A(H1N2) clones without the original specimens. These results suggest that a reassortment to produce A(H1N2) does not readily occur even when A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) co‐circulate in a community such as Yamagata.