Flu News Day, 6/14/2022

Despite the traditional “flu season” ending months ago, influenza infections continue to rise in the United States, with positive influenza tests surpassing positive COVID tests 17% to 4% in the University of New Mexico Health Sciences system. According to Lynnette Brammer, head of CDC’s domestic influenza surveillance team, this is the first time that a spike in influenza cases has been reported this late in the season since the early 1980s. While infection rates are lower than pre-pandemic levels, the rising number of cases highlights the unpredictability of influenza infections as COVID-19 preventative measures wane. Learn more about the ongoing need for respiratory virus testing here.

While some hope that COVID-19 becomes “just like the flu”, in practice this translates to a reeled-in approach that sees “a greater willingness to accept infections and deaths.” Instead, the COVID-19 pandemic could be an opportunity to approach all endemic diseases differently, including influenza. Robust surveillance, rapid and at-home testing capabilities, expanded adult immunizations and improved ventilation systems are just some of the interventions implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic that could mitigate influenza and, in turn, prevent thousands of future infections, hospitalizations and deaths each year. Read more about these preventative measures and the annual burden of influenza here.

Partnering with local communities, research groups and physicians, the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH) is working to improve global zoonotic data collection and prevent disease. By observing animal health and working with those living near these animals, the HIOH has helped control and mitigate outbreaks. Read the article in Gavi’s VaccinesWork to learn more about the impact of HIOH from its founding president, Dr. Fabian Leendertz.

New undergraduate research from the University of California, Riverside uses quantitative Förster resonance energy transfer imaging to show a direct interaction of human proteins with influenza B protein. This research reveals important information about the viral infection process to inform the development of new therapeutics against influenza. Read more about this research by students Chuchu Liu and Runrui Dang, and their faculty mentor Dr. Jiayu Liao.