Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkroll/2014/12/31/get-your-flu-shot-anyway-despite-genetic-drift/
by David Kroll
Published 31 Dec, 2014
The flu has always been a problem. There seems like there are new types every year: swine, avian, type A, etc. This is all because of genetic drift. The flu virus mutates, and over time becomes a new strain. The new strain can be a bit different than it's ancestor, or a lot different. This will determine the vaccine's effectiveness. If the new strain gets too far different from its ancestor, there will have to be a new vaccine made for the specific flu strain. The fact is that most of the flu cases in people that are vaccinated are because there are many more unknown flu strains out there that don't have vaccines. So, while it's still worth it to get your flu shot, just keep in mind that it doesn't make you invincible.
Relevance:
This article relates to our studies in class because we have been learning about genetic drift. Genetic drift is the random microevolution of organisms due to mutations and dominant & recessive alleles.
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ReplyDeleteThe 'drift' in the virus influenza is antigenic drift not the genetic drift. The genes in a flu virus are made of RNA, and during replication a ligase like enzyme isn't present. So when the flu virus copies its genetic material in order for reproduction, mistakes made in copying are not fixed. So generation by generation mutations form different strains of influenza. Therefore, new flu vaccines are developed every year to protect against the latest strains. This article states that because of antigenic drift most flu strains are not addressed in the annual vaccine. However, it is wise to take the vaccine because even if the antibodies in the vaccine don't prevent symptoms, they will reduce the time of sickness.
ReplyDeleteSource: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/viruses/change.htm
What relevance does this article have to our curriculum?