Every flu evolves in the same way

Influenza viruses, similarly to other viruses, rapidly acquire _de novo_ mutations when they replicate within their host cells.However, how the emergence of viral variants in the host is

reflected at a global scale is still poorly understood. In a new study, Xue _et al_. used a deep-sequencing approach to analyse longitudinal samples from immunocompromised patients who had

long-term influenza infections. The authors found that the same set of mutations had emerged independently in several patients, most commonly in the genes that encode haemagglutinin (HA) and

neuraminidase. Furthermore, many of the mutations in HA had also reached high global frequency in the decade following patient infections. This study shows that viral evolution and

variation in the host parallel evolution at a global scale. Understanding these dynamics will help to predict the evolution of influenza viruses and the design of more effective vaccines.

REFERENCES * Xue, K. S. et al. Parallel evolution of influenza across multiple spatiotemporal scales. _eLife_ 6, e26875 (2017) Article  Google Scholar  Download references Authors * Irene

Vacca View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Vacca, I.

Every flu evolves in the same way. _Nat Rev Microbiol_ 15, 451 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro.2017.83 Download citation * Published: 13 July 2017 * Issue Date: August 2017 * DOI:

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