Week 47 flu strains

Here’s the flu report for week 47 (this week): the Perth flu strain is whipping it this week. (Why are the strains thus named I wonder?)

 Since the start of the season, the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) has antigenically characterized 12 influenza viruses (seven A/H3N2 and five B). All seven A/H3N2 viruses (from BC, AB & ON) are antigenically related to A/Perth/16/2009. Three of the influenza B viruses characterized (from AB & QC) are antigenically related to the vaccine strain B/Brisbane/60/2008 (Victoria lineage). The other two influenza B viruses (from BC) are antigenically related to the reference virus B/Wisconsin/01/2010-like, which belongs to the Yamagata lineage

source: Flu Watch