Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41290626›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Unraveling the mechanism behind the probable extinction of the B/Yamagata lineage of influenza B viruses.

Wenjie Han, Jinfeng Zeng, Jiayi Shi, Jingru Feng, Yilin Chen, Jialu Zheng, Peiwen Cheng, Ke Zhai, Chi Zhang, Zekai Qiu and 11 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors.

Wenjie Han *School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-0092-7000
Jinfeng Zeng *School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Jiayi ShiSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Jingru FengSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Yilin ChenSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Jialu ZhengSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Peiwen ChengSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Ke ZhaiSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Chi ZhangSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Zekai QiuSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Zicheng CaoSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Xue ZhangSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Jian ChenSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Wenping XieCollege of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Xuejie DuChinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
Qing GuoChinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
Yousong PengBioinformatics Center, College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, Hunan University, Changsha, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5482-9506
Dayan WangNational Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Collaboration Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4990-1016
Yuelong ShuSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. shuylong@mail.sysu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9279-0916
Taijiao JiangGuangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou, China. jiang_taijiao@gzlab.ac.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-0841-3888
Xiangjun DuSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. duxj9@mail.sysu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8184-8430

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented disruption to the global circulation of influenza viruses. Among the most notable outcomes was the probable extinction of the B/Yamagata lineage of influenza B viruses, which has been rarely detected since March 2020. However, the underlying mechanism of the probable extinction is unknown. Here, we combine molecular, antigenic, and epidemiological data to explore the drivers of this phenomenon. Our analysis reveals that the probable extinction of B/Yamagata was driven by reduced transmission due to nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and a depleted susceptible population caused by conserved antigenicity and the 2017/2018 outbreak. Specifically, B/Yamagata exhibited slower antigenic evolution and alternating antigenic dominance compared to the co-circulating B/Victoria lineage, which was consistent with its weaker positive selection pressure. Simulation analysis suggests that B/Yamagata would maintain circulation if it underwent significant antigenic drift around the COVID-19 pandemic or if NPIs were not implemented. These findings provide a mechanistic explanation for the probable extinction of B/Yamagata and offer broader insights for controlling similar respiratory viruses.

Indexed as

COVID-19Extinction, BiologicalInfluenza B virusInfluenza, HumanAntigens, ViralEvolution, MolecularHumansPandemicsPhylogenySARS-CoV-2Antigens, Viral

Identifiers

PMID41290626
PMCPMC12647912

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.