A fascinating aspect of viral evolution relates to the ability of viruses to escape the adaptive
immune response. The widely held view has been that the great variability of viral …

Influenza virus evolves rapidly to constantly escape from natural immunity. Most humoral
immune responses to influenza virus target the hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein, which is …

The target of neutralizing antibodies that protect against influenza virus infection is the viral
protein HA. Genetic and antigenic variation in HA has been used to classify influenza …

Outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 clade 2.3. 4.4 b viruses in farmed mink and seals
combined with isolated human infections suggest these viruses pose a pandemic threat. To …

Background Pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) has the potential to cause a major
global pandemic in humans. Safe and effective vaccines that induce immunologic memory …

Background. The first cases of avian influenza A (H5N1) in humans in Vietnam were
detected in early 2004, and Vietnam has reported the second highest number of cases …

Abstract (See the editorial commentary by Donis and Cox, on pages 1010–1012.)
Background. Lack of life-long immunity against influenza viruses represents a major global …

Vaccines are instrumental in controlling the burden of influenza virus infection in humans
and animals. Antibodies raised against both major viral surface glycoproteins …

Seasonal influenza causes significant morbidity, mortality, and economic costs. Vaccines
against influenza, though both safe and effective, are imperfect. Notably, these vaccines …

In preparing for the threat of a pandemic of avian H5N1 influenza virus, we need to consider
the significant delay (4 to 6 months) necessary to produce a strain-matched vaccine. As …