Comparative studies of H3N2 influenza virus strains isolated in May-June, 1982, and in the subsequent epidemic in February, 1983: antigenic and genome analysis.

Comparative studies have been undertaken on the H3N2 influenza virus strains isolated in Leningrad in May-June, 1982 and those isolated in the subsequent winter epidemic in February, 1983. Analysis of the isolates with ferret antisera against standard influenza viruses of the H3N2 subtype and with monoclonal antibodies against A/Bangkok/1/79 virus revealed a considerable but similar degree of heterogeneity in the HA antigenic specificity of the strains isolated in the spring-summer, 1982, as in the winter, 1983, periods and also a close resemblance between the antigenic specificities of the strains of these two epidemics. However comparative genome analysis of the strains using cRNA:vRNA hybridization technique revealed that in terms of the gene homology, the influenza virus strains which circulated in the spring-summer period of 1982 resembled the strains responsible for the previous rather than subsequent epidemic.