Are global pandemics of the flu caused by natural mutation (drift) or the mixing of the gene pool (shift)?
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Anonymous
ANSWERS: 1
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Most influenza outbreaks are caused by viruses that have undergone genetic . The antigens of these viruses are essentially the same as old strains expect in a couple of places. Most people can recognize the old antigens and are able to recover. Flu pandemics caused by genetic shift are more devastating. This happens when the flu virus infects a non-human animal and picks up completely new antigens. When it is picked back up by humans, it is almost unrecognizable to the immune system and therefore incredibly difficult to fight. The Spanish flu (or pig flu) of 1912 and avian flu are a couple of examples of instances of genetic shift in the influenza virus populations.
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