Influenza B viruses: underestimated and overlooked

Marios Koutsakos; Stephen J Kent

doi:10.1071/MA21033

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

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Influenza B viruses: underestimated and overlooked

Marios Koutsakos ^A ^D and Stephen J Kent ^A ^B ^C

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Vic. 3000, Australia

^B Melbourne Sexual Health Centre and Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia

^C ARC Centre for Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia

^D Tel.: +61 3 9035 4179; Email: marios.koutsakos@unimelb.edu.au

Microbiology Australia 42(3) 110-115 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA21033
Submitted: 16 July 2021 Accepted: 19 August 2021 Published: 6 September 2021

Journal Compilation © The Authors 2021 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND, published (by CSIRO Publishing) on behalf of the ASM

Abstract

Influenza B viruses circulate globally every year causing respiratory disease with significant clinical and socio-economic impacts. IBV are considered exclusive human pathogens with no established animal reservoirs, which suggests with concerted effort it may be possible to eradicate this virus from human circulation. However, this requires a deeper understanding of IBV virology and immunology and the design of vaccines that induce universal immunity to antigenic variants of IBV.

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