New viral mutation made middle-aged adults more susceptible to last year's flu

(The Wistar Institute) A team of scientists, led by researchers at The Wistar Institute, has identified a possible explanation for why middle-aged adults were hit especially hard by the H1N1 influenza virus during the 2013-2014 influenza season. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offer evidence that a new mutation in H1N1 viruses potentially led to more disease in these individuals.

Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - October 21, 2014 Category: Biology Source Type: news