{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,21]],"date-time":"2026-10-21T21:38:54Z","timestamp":1792618734421,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788220800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788220800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Medical Virology"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Influenza B viruses contribute substantially to global morbidity and mortality, yet genomic data from the Middle East remain limited. We retrospectively performed whole\u2010genome sequencing of six influenza B virus\u2010positive residual nasopharyngeal specimens collected at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, during the 2024\u20132025 season, including one fatal pediatric case, and described their genomic features alongside clinical outcomes. All six genomes belonged to the B\/Victoria lineage and clustered within V1A.3a.2\u2010derived subclades circulating globally during 2024\u20132025. Five genomes, including the fatal pediatric case, were assigned to subclade C.5.6, whereas one non\u2010fatal case belonged to C.5.7. The Saudi sequences were interspersed among contemporaneous reference strains from Europe, Asia, and North America, without evidence of a distinct local lineage. The fatal isolate did not occupy a distinct phylogenetic position and contained none of the screened virulence\u2010associated markers, including the neuraminidase N342K substitution. These genomes provide regional surveillance data from an underrepresented setting. Given the small sample size and inclusion of a single fatal case, the findings are descriptive and do not permit inference regarding genomic determinants of disease severity. Larger studies integrating viral genomic, clinical, and host data are needed.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/jmv.71128","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T10:14:50Z","timestamp":1788257690000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Genomic Characterization of Influenza B Victoria Lineage Viruses Circulating in Saudi Arabia During the 2024\u20132025 Season"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"98","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1077-0872","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nabeel","family":"Alzahrani","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences Riyadh Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"King Abdullah International Medical Research Center Riyadh Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Ministry of the National Guard\u2010Health Affairs Riyadh Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rfeef","family":"Alyami","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"King Abdullah International Medical Research Center Riyadh Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Department of Medicine King Abdulaziz Medical City Riyadh Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences Riyadh Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Laboratory of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zainab","family":"BuAli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"King Abdullah International Medical Research Center Riyadh Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Department of Medicine King Abdulaziz Medical City Riyadh Saudi 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International Medical Research Center Riyadh Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Department of Medicine King Abdulaziz Medical City Riyadh Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences Riyadh Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9503-8770","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Turki","family":"Abujamel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Vaccines and Immunotherapy Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center King Abdulaziz University Jeddah Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Department of Medical Laboratory Technology Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University Jeddah Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8471-7011","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anwar M.","family":"Hashem","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Vaccines and Immunotherapy Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center King Abdulaziz University Jeddah Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine King Abdulaziz University Jeddah Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"One Health Research and Innovation Center (OHRIC) King Faisal University, Al-Hofuf Al-Ahsa Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9952-9067","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sameera Al","family":"Johani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"King Abdullah International Medical Research Center Riyadh Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Ministry of the National Guard\u2010Health Affairs Riyadh Saudi 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