""There is this mutation seen in this H3N2 which is why it's gotten its own name under 'subclade K' as kind of the other medical terminology but I think the worry is that is there enough mutations in this virus which we see influenza do which is kind of drift into new versions of influenzas which when there is enough mutations we worry about the vaccine efficacy," said Luis Alberto Rubio, Assistant Professor of UCSF Infectious Diseases."
""There have been at least 7.5 million illnesses, and 3,100 deaths from flu this season so far. That is up from 4.6 million illnesses and 1,900 deaths just last week. But is this strain worse than the one we saw last year? "I think time will tell. I don't think we know right now. There has been a lot of alarm in different countries in Japan, UK, where there has been more cases early on in the year. So, I think that has gotten people alarmed," said Dr. Rubio."
A mutation in H3N2 identified as subclade K has emerged, prompting concern about antigenic drift and possible reduced vaccine effectiveness. CDC data show at least 7.5 million illnesses and 3,100 deaths from flu this season, up from 4.6 million illnesses and 1,900 deaths the prior week. Bay Area hospitals report rising influenza-like illness and increased emergency visits and hospitalizations. Wastewater surveillance in Santa Clara County indicates community spread and a slightly higher hospitalization rate than the regional average. Early spikes in other countries have raised alarms, but definitive severity compared with last year remains uncertain.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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