The Nation : Flu Strain Arrives in U.S.

A new strain of influenza, the Taiwan flu, has been found in four of seven patients in the first official influenza cases of the 1986-87 flu season, the national Centers for Disease Control reported. The presence of the new flu strain, named for the area in which it was first detected, signals a severe flu season because it is unlikely that anyone under 35 has been exposed to a similar virus, the Atlanta-based agency said. Health officials also said that the flu vaccine currently available is not designed to protect against the new strain, and it may be at least two weeks before a new vaccine is available.