Without losing trace after the flu

2004/09/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Mikrobiologia
• Medikuntza

European and American researchers have collaboratively developed a computer model to follow the evolution of influenza virus. The goal is to better understand the mutations of the virus in order to anticipate and prepare better vaccines.

This is because the vaccine should be changed annually, as the virus modifies the antigenic proteins that cause the immune system's response. That's why it manages to infect so many people: 500,000 people die every year in the world from flu.

For the elaboration of the computer model, a variant of the influenza virus (influenza A) has been followed since its appearance in humans from 1968 to 2003. They have quantified and represented the antigenic and genetic evolution and have observed that this virus has evolved in 11 groups of viruses. Thanks to the map, they think they can see better in advance how the flu virus evolves.