The first isolation of influenza virus type B in the 2000/01 season, December 2000 - Shizuoka

(IASR 2001;22:6-6)

The case was a 7-year-old boy complaining of fever (39.0C). He was suspected to have upper respiratory tract infection, and visited Shimada City Hospital on December 6, 2000. The rapid influenza test (Influenza OIA^TM) was positive, thus his nasal discharge was forwarded to the Shizuoka Institute of Environment and Hygiene.

The specimen was inoculated onto MDCK cells and cytopathic effect was observed on the fourth day. Hemagglutination titer against turkey RBCs was 1:128. Hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test was carried out using supernatant of MDCK culture media (second culture) and ferret antisera provided by NIID. The results showed HI titer of 1:80 for B/Yamagata/166/98 (homo-titer 1:640) and less than 1:10 for B/Shangdong/7/97 (homo-titer 1:80).

In Shimada City the same influenza B strain was isolated in August 2000 from a 5-year-old girl who traveled to Australia. Virological comparison is being carried out.

Reported by: Keiji Sahara, Hiromi Nagaoka, Masaaki Sugieda, Masato Akiyama, Shizuoka Institute of Environment and Hygiene; Mikio Goto, Shimada City Hospital.

Correspondence: Keiji Sahara;
E-mail: kaneibio@hq.pref.shizuoka.jp
FAX: +81-54-245-7636

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