Virological Characteristics of the 2014/2015 Influenza Season Based on Molecular Analysis of Biological Material Derived from I-MOVE Study

Abstract

The main goal of the international study I-MOVE (Influenza Monitoring of Vaccine Effectiveness) implemented in Poland is to identify and evaluate the activity types of influenza virus and to determine the effectiveness of vaccination against influenza in the 2014–2015 influenza season. The study is based on selecting patients with flu symptoms and collecting biological samples for laboratory examination. Detection, typing, and subtyping of influenza viruses were carried out by the National Center for Influenza Virus Research at National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene, serving as a reference center, and also in selected laboratories of the Regional Sanitary Epidemiological Stations. Molecular biology methods, such as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), were applied in this study. A total of 218 samples were collected. A hundred and twenty six samples, representing 57.8 % of the total, were confirmed with influenza virus infection. Influenza type A virus was detected in 54 samples, which included 16 samples of A/H1N1/pdm09 subtype and 11 samples of A/H3N2/ subtype. The remaining 27 samples positive for influenza type A were not subtyped. Influenza type B virus was detected in 57 samples, which appeared to be the dominant strain in this study. Furthermore, several cases of concurrent infection with influenza type B virus and the A/H1N/pdm09 or A/H3N2/ subtype were observed.