On the surface of influenza A viruses, the antigens hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (N) can be found.
Subtypes can be distinguished according to the antigen types. H1N1 was the virus responsible for the Spanish influenza pandemic in 1918-1920 and the swine flu in 2009. The natural reservoir of influenza A viruses is in wild aquatic birds. Infection can proceed asymptomatically but also be fatal.
Reports are currently reaching us from Japan and several countries in Southeast Asia about an increased number of severe cases of illness caused by the influenza A/H3N2 virus. Experts at the German
Poliomyelitis, also known as polio, is a contagious disease caused by the poliovirus. Thanks to the development of effective vaccines, the poliovirus has been largely eradicated and was endemic in
Since the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, several variants of the virus have developed into Variants of Concern (VOCs), as classified by the World Health Organization (WHO). VOCs are virus variants
More than 400 experts from the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) and the German Society for Infectious Diseases (DGI) will meet in Munich from February 13-15, 2025 for their Joint Annual
The protective effect of established COVID-19 vaccines is initially very robust, but wanes relatively quickly. This limitation imposes a need for periodic booster shots, which drives vaccine
Professor Gerd Sutter has died at the age of 61. His pioneering work on the development of MVA vaccines against measles, MERS-CoV and West Nile virus, among others, had a major impact on modern
