The role of demography, antigenic characteristics, and phylogenetic relationships in the epidemiology of influenza B viruses
The role of demography, antigenic characteristics, and phylogenetic relationships in the epidemiology of influenza B viruses
A recent study by Dr. Zeynep Ahsen KOÇER, Research Group Leader at Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG), and PhD student M. Ekin AZBAZDAR, published in the Journal of Turkish Society of Microbiology, investigates the evolutionary dynamics of influenza B viruses circulating in Türkiye and neighboring countries. The study explores the phylogenetic relationships and seasonal antigenic variations in these viruses and highlights how such factors, combined with demographic data, may influence their epidemiological features.
Providing important insights into influenza B virus evolution, the study emphasizes the potential role of amino acid changes in the antigenic regions of the hemagglutinin (HA) surface glycoprotein in shaping lineage-specific virus dynamics. In particular, it suggests that the limited geographic spread and preserved antigenic characteristics of Yamagata-lineage viruses across seasons may have contributed to their decline and eventual disappearance from global circulation.