According to official figures provided by Public Health England, cases of influenza in the U.K. are running at a three year high. In this week alone, 74 outbreaks have been reported, with the majority relating to care homes for the elderly. Furthermore, some 107 people have been admitted to hospital in the past week. Around half of the cases relate to the H3N2 strain of the virus. H3N2 is a subtype of the viral genus Influenzavirus A. The current form of the virus is different to the one detected last year, for this reason the term “seasonal H3N2” flu is in common use. The virus is different through it having undergone a significant mutation.
Public health experts are predicting the most significant flu season in the U.K. since the winter of 2010-11. These figures follow a warning given by virologist Steven Riley of Imperial College London, who argued late last year that resources must be put into the examination of flu strains in order to predict which ones might have pandemic potential.
According to the BBC, medics will be closely watching the figures as children return to school for an indication of how bad the flu season will be.
Influenza describes a range of infectious viruses caused by a group of RNA viruses (the Orthomyxoviridae). The most common symptoms are chills, fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pains, headache (often severe), coughing, weakness/fatigue and general discomfort. Serious cases can lead to complications and, in some circumstances, death.
In related flu news, new research suggests that influenza infection can result in the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae becoming more infectious, leading to a greater risk to ear and throat infections. This bacterium is a major cause of pneumonia. Other research is taking place using ferrets, to look at different types of flu virus virulence. Ferrets apparently provide the best model organisms for this type of research.
