# 4933
The World Health Organization’s FluNet site has released their latest snapshot of the types of influenza strains being reported by selected countries around the world, and once again – in a number of regions, at least – the H3N2 virus leads the pack.
Compare this to six months ago (see below), when nearly all the influenza being reported around the world was either the 2009 H1N1 Influenza A virus or the Influenza B virus.
Flu Trends in March, 2010
The H3N2 virus being reported appears to be the new Perth/16 strain, which emerged in the spring of 2009 at roughly the same time as the novel pandemic virus (see Who Knew? New Flu).
The swine flu strain, being a novel virus, spread far faster and almost immediately outperformed this new H3 strain. For a time, it wasn’t entirely certain that this new strain would survive.
But in recent months, the Perth H3 strain has managed a bit of a comeback.
It is still too early to know how big a player the H3 virus will be this winter in the northern hemisphere.
Influenza is notoriously unpredictable. And I’m not fool enough to try to second guess it.
The good news is this year’s flu shot has antigens against both this new strain of H3, as well as against the H1N1 pandemic strain and a B strain.
And it certainly isn’t too early to get your shot. I got mine last Saturday.
The CDC would like you to know that flu shots are extremely safe, and most years are very effective:
