A study in ferrets and in blood samples from 69 children, ages 2-6 years, finds that influenza virus infections in childhood can affect the antibody responses mounted against distinct influenza virus strains encountered later in life, suggesting that the first influenza strain a person encounters may affect the individual's susceptibility to other strains.
Article #19-20321: "Original antigenic sin priming of influenza virus hemagglutinin stalk antibodies," by Claudia P. Arevalo et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Scott E. Hensley, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; e-mail: hensley@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences