You're reading: Immunologist: New flu pandemic not expected in Ukraine this winter

Three strains of influenza virus are expected in Ukraine this winter, but there will be no new strains of the virus, Oleh Nazar, the director of the Kyiv center of immunology and a chief specialist in clinical immunology at Kyiv's main health care department, has predicted.

"A new terrible flu is not expected this winter… Three strains of the virus – H1N1, H1N2, H2N3 (California, Brisbane, and Persian) – are currently expected," he said during an online conference on the Web site of LigaBusinessInform on Monday.

He said that influenza viruses had the ability to mutate, resulting in a new strain of virus every three years.

"Nobody artificially produces influenza viruses, as there is no need to do so," the immunologist said, when asked about the possible artificial creation of viruses.

Nazar also commented on the current rate of flu diseases in Ukraine: "The situation in Kyiv regarding the rate of influenza diseases is 18% below the epidemic threshold. There is already an epidemic in Ukraine’s western regions. The epidemic should be over in March or April."