[The antigenic structure of influenza B viruses isolated in 1991]

A comparative immunological analysis of the antigenic structure of reference influenza B viruses of 1940-1984 and isolates of 1986-1991 using monospecific antibodies to individual antigenic determinants and monoclonal antibodies to hemagglutinin of B/Oregon/5/80 virus demonstrated a further antigenic drift of influenza B viruses from the reference variants B/Victoria/2/87 and B/Yamagata/16/88. Alongside with circulation of viruses with new antigenic properties, variants were found in the epidemic outbreak of 1991 whose hemagglutinin had common antigenic markers with those of variants of the previous years.