PREDAC-H3: A user-friendly platform for antigenic surveillance of human influenza a(H3N2) virus based on hemagglutinin sequences

Abstract

Motivation: Timely surveillance of the antigenic dynamics of the influenza virus is critical for accurate selection of vaccine strains, which is important for effective prevention of viral spread and infection. Results: Here, we provide a computational platform, called PREDAC-H3, for antigenic surveillance of human influenza A(H3N2) virus based on the sequence of surface protein hemagglutinin (HA). PREDAC-H3 not only determines the antigenic variants and antigenic cluster (grouped for similar antigenicity) to which the virus belongs, based on HA sequences, but also allows visualization of the spatial distribution and temporal dynamics of antigenic clusters of viruses isolated from around the world, thus assisting in antigenic surveillance of human influenza A(H3N2) virus.