Chunli Wu1, Maggie Haitian Wang2, Xing Lu1, Ka Chun Chong2, Jason He3, Chun-Yip Yau4, Mark Hui4, Xiaowen Cheng1, Li Yang5, Benny Chung-Ying Zee2, Renli Zhang6, Ming-Liang He7. 1. Major Infectious Disease Control Key Laboratory, The Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China. 2. Division of Biostatistics, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; The CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China. 3. College of Letter and Science, University of California at Berkeley, CA, USA. 4. Department of Statistics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. 5. Division of Digestive Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. 6. Major Infectious Disease Control Key Laboratory, The Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China. Electronic address: renlizhang@tom.com. 7. The CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China; Stanley Ho Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, and Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China; Department of Biomedical Science, The City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. Electronic address: mlhe7788@gmail.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to elucidate the antibody response pattern of multiple influenza subtypes through a 4-year serological study of a general population in Shenzhen, Southern China. METHODS: A serial cross-sectional serological survey was conducted at eight time points between 2009 and 2012. A total number of 5876 subjects were recruited from all age groups. The influenza subtypes tested were A/H1N1, A/H3N2, B/Yamagata, B/Victoria, and A/H1N1pdm. Genetic sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were performed on 127 H3 genes and 28 H1pdm genes. RESULTS: We found concurrent epidemics of A/H3N2 and A/H1N1pdm with simultaneous peak times at March 2011. A/H3N2 was the dominant subtype. Ten residue substitutions (S61N, T64I, K78E, K160N, N161S, A214S, T228A, A229V, V239I, N294K, and N328S) were found in the H3 gene that might underlie its epidemic. The elderly group showed an antibody response cycle that was weaker in magnitude and slower in peak time than in younger groups. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides a broad transmission picture and epidemiological characteristics of the major flu subtypes. The findings suggest that it may be necessary to include the A/H1N1pdm strain to the current trivalent or quadrivalent vaccine design. The delayed antibody response cycle in the elderly group indicates the need for better protection of elderly people that might be achieved by an earlier vaccination at a higher dose.
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to elucidate the antibody response pattern of multiple influenza subtypes through a 4-year serological study of a general population in Shenzhen, Southern China. METHODS: A serial cross-sectional serological survey was conducted at eight time points between 2009 and 2012. A total number of 5876 subjects were recruited from all age groups. The influenza subtypes tested were A/H1N1, A/H3N2, B/Yamagata, B/Victoria, and A/H1N1pdm. Genetic sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were performed on 127 H3 genes and 28 H1pdm genes. RESULTS: We found concurrent epidemics of A/H3N2 and A/H1N1pdm with simultaneous peak times at March 2011. A/H3N2 was the dominant subtype. Ten residue substitutions (S61N, T64I, K78E, K160N, N161S, A214S, T228A, A229V, V239I, N294K, and N328S) were found in the H3 gene that might underlie its epidemic. The elderly group showed an antibody response cycle that was weaker in magnitude and slower in peak time than in younger groups. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides a broad transmission picture and epidemiological characteristics of the major flu subtypes. The findings suggest that it may be necessary to include the A/H1N1pdm strain to the current trivalent or quadrivalent vaccine design. The delayed antibody response cycle in the elderly group indicates the need for better protection of elderly people that might be achieved by an earlier vaccination at a higher dose.
Authors: Shuxuan Song; Qian Li; Li Shen; Minghao Sun; Zurong Yang; Nuoya Wang; Jifeng Liu; Kun Liu; Zhongjun Shao Journal: Front Public Health Date: 2022-03-29