Dec. 2 (UPI) -- A new flu variant called Subclade K is spreading in Japan and poses a significant risk to the United States as cold and flu season arrives this winter.
The flu variant is a new version of the type A flu virus that commonly spreads at the traditional start of the flu season and is followed by the type B virus at the season's end, according to The Japan Times.
The variant has caused a spike in flu cases in Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom, and already is taking root in the United States.
Officials with the Japan Institute of Health determined 22 of 23 patient samples analyzed since September were positive for the Subclade K flu variant, Nippon.com reported.
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