Clinical and genetic characterization of severe influenza B-associated diseases during an outbreak in Taiwan

Background: Mismatches between circulating and vaccine strains of influenza virus had been observed in Taiwan. A comprehensive clinical and genetic analysis of influenza B viruses-associated important diseases was lacking. Objectives: Clinical and phylogenetic analysis of influenza B viruses during an outbreak in Taiwan. Study designs: Clinical manifestations of hospitalized, culture-confirmed patients were analyzed from July 2004 to June 2005. Partial genome sequence analysis of hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), and nonstructural (NS) genes were performed in 54 influenza B isolates during the study period, and nine srandomly chosen isolates during 2000 and 2003. Results: Three specific diseases were found in these patients, including 13 of encephalitis/encephalopathy, 28 of influenza-associated myositis (IAM), and one of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Three phylogenetic groups were identified, including reassortant strains-group 1 (Victoria lineage of HA, Yamagata lineage of NA, clade A of NS), group 2 (Yamagata lineage of HA, Yamagata lineage of NA, clade A of NS), and group 3 (Yamagata lineage of HA, Yamagata lineage of NA, clade B of NS). Conclusions: Severe influenza B-associated disease in children was not rare and might be fatal. We offered the evidence of co-circulation of the two HA lineages in the same outbreak.