Influenza B Virus: From Infection to Prevention

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Viruses".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2027 | Viewed by 1994

Editor


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Guest Editor
WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Melbourne, Australia
Interests: influenza drug susceptibility monitoring; virus fitness; preclinical models for infection; antiviral development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Influenza A (IAV) and B (IBV) viruses co-circulate yearly during seasonal epidemics. IBV causes about a quarter of all influenza cases in an average season. Both influenza types cause severe respiratory illnesses in humans. IAV significantly affects young children and the elderly, while the burden of IBV infections is especially high among school-aged children in terms of incidence, hospitalization, and fatal outcomes, with the underlying pathogenic mechanisms remaining unclear. The primary treatment for influenza, Neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs), are less effective against IBV compared to IAV. In the 21st century, two lineages of IBV, B/Victoria and B/Yamagata, have been co-circulating. After non-pharmaceutical interventions that were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, B/Yamagata lineage viruses have not been detected. Less research has been conducted on IBV than on IAV, as IBV lacks an established animal reservoir and pandemic potential. However, this also means that IBV infections and transmissions could be controlled well by broadly protective vaccines.

The objective of this Special Issue is to collect articles (research articles, short communications, reviews, and commentaries) that focus on surveillance, advancing knowledge about IBV epidemiology, evolution, antigenicity, pathogenesis, and immunity, as well as suitable animal models for infection, which is critical for the development of seasonal influenza vaccines and novel treatment strategies.

Dr. Saira Hussain
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • influenza B viruses
  • epidemiology
  • evolution
  • pathogenesis
  • immunity
  • vaccine
  • antivirals

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 4808 KB  
Article
Genomic Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of HA and NA Genes of Influenza B Virus in Riyadh (2024–2025): Implications for Vaccine Strain Match
by Shatha Ata Abdulgader, Ibrahim M. Aziz, Abdulhadi M. Abdulwahed, Reem M. Aljowaie, Mohamed A. Farrag, Abdulaziz M. Almuqrin, Noorah A. Alkubaisi and Fahad N. Almajhdi
Viruses 2026, 18(3), 358; https://doi.org/10.3390/v18030358 - 15 Mar 2026
Viewed by 1153
Abstract
Background: Influenza B virus (IBV) undergoes continuous genetic mutations that can affect vaccine effectiveness and immune evasion. Although considerable research on IBV epidemiology exists globally, understanding of its genetic behavior in Saudi Arabia remains limited. This study characterized the molecular epidemiology of IBV [...] Read more.
Background: Influenza B virus (IBV) undergoes continuous genetic mutations that can affect vaccine effectiveness and immune evasion. Although considerable research on IBV epidemiology exists globally, understanding of its genetic behavior in Saudi Arabia remains limited. This study characterized the molecular epidemiology of IBV in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the 2024–2025 influenza season and evaluated compatibility with the current vaccine strain. Methods: Nasopharyngeal samples (n = 363) were collected from individuals presenting with influenza-like illness at King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh. Detection and subtyping of IBV were performed using RT-PCR. Complete sequencing of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes was conducted on confirmed IBV isolates (n = 7), followed by phylogenetic analysis, amino acid substitution mapping, and glycosylation site prediction. Results: Of the 363 samples analyzed, 68 (18.7%) tested positive for IBV, with the majority occurring in adult females aged 15–64 years. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all seven IBV isolates belonged to the Victoria lineage under subclade V1A.3a.2, corresponding to the current vaccine strain and strains from the 2022–2023 epidemic season. However, molecular analysis identified two substitutions (D129N and D197E) located in antigenic loop-150 and 190-helix, respectively, in the HA polypeptide that distinguished our strains from vaccine strain B/Austria/1359417/2021. Importantly, the N-glycosylation site at position 169 (NKT), which was present in B/Riyadh/1/2010, has been lost in the IBV strains circulating during 2020–2025. Conclusions: While phylogenetic clade compatibility indicates potential vaccine efficacy, the identified amino acid variations and loss of the glycosylation site underscore the necessity for ongoing molecular surveillance to monitor antigenic changes and evaluate vaccine effectiveness within the Saudi Arabian population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Influenza B Virus: From Infection to Prevention)
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