Influenza B virus

Influenza B virus is one of the strains of the virus that causes the flu, a contagious respiratory illness. Unlike Influenza A, which can infect various animals and has multiple subtypes, Influenza B primarily affects humans. It tends to cause seasonal outbreaks and can lead to symptoms like fever, cough, body aches, and fatigue. There are two main lineages of Influenza B: Yamagata and Victoria. Vaccines are developed annually to help protect against the most common strains, making vaccination important for reducing the severity and spread of the illness.