
The Library
Response - Influenza
Tools
Fraser, C., Donnelly, C..A., Cauchemez, S., Hanage, W. P., Van Kerkhove, M. D., Hollingsworth, T. Déirdre, Griffin, J., Baggaley, Rebecca F., Jenkins, H. E., Lyons, E. J., Jombart, T., Hinsley, W. R., Grassly, N. C., Balloux, F., Ghani, Azra C., Rambaut, A. and Ferguson, N. M. (2009) Response - Influenza. Science, Vol.325 (No.5944). pp. 1072-1073. doi:10.1126/science.325_1072b
Research output not available from this repository.
Request-a-Copy directly from author or use local Library Get it For Me service.
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.325_1072b
Abstract
We thank McCaw et al. for their comments. Cross-immunity between new pandemic strains and preexisting influenza viruses is an intriguing possibility that has been explored in the context of explaining inter-subtype competition in pandemics (1). Indeed, preliminary published data suggest limited cross-reactive immunity to the novel H1N1 virus in the elderly (2). In terms of the relative merits of referring to the basic versus the effective reproduction number (R0 versus R), we used R0 because we were describing the spread of a novel influenza virus in a large population that had not been previously exposed to this virus strain. R0 is a population-specific composite variable (not a fundamental biological parameter) and is only well-defined in a large population; there are examples of higher attack rates in past pandemics in close-contact closed communities, but these were not representative of spread in large populations. Variation in attack rates by age may indeed suggest age-dependent susceptibility, but this was not caused by previous exposure to this novel virus and could equally be due to innate immunity or other biological mechanisms. We therefore felt that it was appropriate to describe spread using the term R0. However, we agree that the possibility of exposure to previous subtypes conferring partial immunity to the new H1N1 virus may—together with antigenic evolution—have implications for transmission of the pandemic virus over the coming months.
Item Type: | Journal Item | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Subjects: | R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine | ||||
Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Life Sciences (2010- ) Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Mathematics |
||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Science | ||||
Publisher: | American Association for the Advancement of Science | ||||
ISSN: | 0036-8075 | ||||
Official Date: | August 2009 | ||||
Dates: |
|
||||
Volume: | Vol.325 | ||||
Number: | No.5944 | ||||
Page Range: | pp. 1072-1073 | ||||
DOI: | 10.1126/science.325_1072b | ||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||
Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access |
Request changes or add full text files to a record
Repository staff actions (login required)
![]() |
View Item |