section_path: Virology/Types of virus/Influenza virus nomenclature
section_name: Influenza virus nomenclature
paragraph_text: Influenza virus nomenclature
  
  Every year, millions of influenza virus samples are analysed to monitor changes in the virus' antigenic properties, and to inform the development of vaccines.
  
  To unambiguously describe a specific isolate of virus, researchers use the internationally accepted influenza virus nomenclature,i which describes, among other things, the species of animal from which the virus was isolated, and the place and year of collection. As an example – A/chicken/Nakorn-Patom/Thailand/CU-K2/04(H5N1):
  
  The nomenclature for influenza B, C and D, which are less variable, is simpler. Examples are B/Santiago/29615/2020 and C/Minnesota/10/2015.