Antigenic Cartography: Overview and Current Developments

Antigenic cartography is a powerful method that allows for the calculation of antigenic distances between influenza viruses or sera and their positioning on a map, by quantifying raw data from hemagglutination inhibition assays. As a consequence, the antigenic drift of influenza viruses over time can be visualized in a straightforward manner. Antigenic cartography is not only useful in the research of influenza virus evolution but also in the surveillance of influenza viruses. Most importantly, antigenic cartography plays a very important role in vaccine updating decisions, since by calculating the antigenic distances between a vaccine strain and circulating strains, an informed decision can be made on whether the distances are large enough to warrant a vaccine update or not. Recent improvements in antigenic cartography calculations have significantly improved its accuracy.