Type A Influenza Virus And Why The Biology Of This Virus Is A Threat Essay

Type A Influenza Virus And Why The biology Of This Virus Is A Threat To Human - Essay ExampleThis is of great importance in the epidemiology of the disease. antigenic variability is highest in influenza computer virus type A and less in type B, era it has not been demonstrated in type C.The internal RNP antigen and M protein antigen are stable but two the surface antigens, hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, undergo independent antigenic innovations, which may be of two types - antigenic shift and antigenic drift. Here, the new antigens, though different from the previous antigens, are related to them, so that they react with the antisera to the predecessor virus strains, to varying degrees. Antigenic drift is due to the mutation and selection, the process being influenced by the presence of antibodies to the predecessor strains in the host population. Antigenic drift accounts for the periodical epidemics of influenza.Antigenic shift, on the other hand, is an abrupt, drastic, disco ntinuous variation in the antigenic structure, resulting in a novel virus strain unrelated antigenically to predecessor strains. such(prenominal) changes may involve hemagglutinin, neuraminidase or both. Antibodies to predecessor viruses do not neutralize the new variants and can, therefore, spread widely in the population causing major epidemics or pandemics.