“The whole world is keeping a watch for possible mutation of the virus. We are now screening local patients who have come down with serious flu symptoms or complications of H3N2v.”-Chou Jih-haw, Taiwan CDC

On February 10, Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced they are concerned of a possible outbreak of H3N2, after 12 people in the U.S. got infected at the end of 2011.

H3N2 is already hitting Japan, and parts of Europe, hard.  The new version of H3N2 is called H3N2v, and it contains genes from the H1N1 virus.

So far there are no confirmed H3N2v cases in Taiwan, but health officials there are stepping up efforts to head H3N2v off at the pass, by closely monitoring anyone who reports being sick.