Global Migration Dynamics Underlie Evolution and Persistence of Human Influenza A (H3N2)

PLoS Pathogens

Peter Beerli¹  Trevor Bedford¹  Mercedes Pascual²  Sarah Cobey² 

[1] Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America;Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America

关键词: Influenza;    Asia;    Influenza A virus;    Animal migration;    Viral evolution;    China;    Genetic epidemiology;    Population genetics;   

DOI  :  10.1371/journal.ppat.1000918

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Public Library of Science

【 摘 要 】

The global migration patterns of influenza viruses have profound implications for the evolutionary and epidemiological dynamics of the disease. We developed a novel approach to reconstruct the genetic history of human influenza A (H3N2) collected worldwide over 1998 to 2009 and used it to infer the global network of influenza transmission. Consistent with previous models, we find that China and Southeast Asia lie at the center of this global network. However, we also find that strains of influenza circulate outside of Asia for multiple seasons, persisting through dynamic migration between northern and southern regions. The USA acts as the primary hub of temperate transmission and, together with China and Southeast Asia, forms the trunk of influenza's evolutionary tree. These findings suggest that antiviral use outside of China and Southeast Asia may lead to the evolution of long-term local and potentially global antiviral resistance. Our results might also aid the design of surveillance efforts and of vaccines better tailored to different geographic regions.

【 授权许可】

CC BY