Emerging Infectious Diseases (Nov 2019)

Human-to-Human Transmission of Influenza A(H3N2) Virus with Reduced Susceptibility to Baloxavir, Japan, February 2019

  • Emi Takashita,
  • Masataka Ichikawa,
  • Hiroko Morita,
  • Rie Ogawa,
  • Seiichiro Fujisaki,
  • Masayuki Shirakura,
  • Hideka Miura,
  • Kazuya Nakamura,
  • Noriko Kishida,
  • Tomoko Kuwahara,
  • Hiromi Sugawara,
  • Aya Sato,
  • Miki Akimoto,
  • Keiko Mitamura,
  • Takashi Abe,
  • Masahiko Yamazaki,
  • Shinji Watanabe,
  • Hideki Hasegawa,
  • Takato Odagiri

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2511.190757
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 25, no. 11
pp. 2108 – 2111

Abstract

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In 2019, influenza A(H3N2) viruses carrying an I38T substitution in the polymerase acidic gene, which confers reduced susceptibility to baloxavir, were detected in Japan in an infant without baloxavir exposure and a baloxavir-treated sibling. These viruses’ whole-genome sequences were identical, indicating human-to-human transmission. Influenza virus isolates should be monitored for baloxavir susceptibility.

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