What is the difference between antigenic and antigenic drift?
Antigenic drift involves the accumulation of a series of minor genetic mutations. Antigenic shift involves “mixing” of genes from influenza viruses from different species. Pigs, birds, and humans.
Is antigenic drift the same as genetic drift?
Antigenic drift should not be confused with antigenic shift, which refers to reassortment of the virus’ gene segments. As well, it is different from random genetic drift, which is an important mechanism in population genetics.
Which is worse antigenic shift or drift?
When shift happens, most people have little or no immunity against the new virus. While flu viruses change all the time due to antigenic drift, antigenic shift happens less frequently.
What is an example of an antigenic drift?

The emergence of a new strain of influenza A due to antigenic drift can cause an influenza epidemic or pandemic. Antigenic drift is also known to occur in HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), which causes AIDS, and in certain rhinoviruses, which cause common colds in humans.
What are the two ways antigenic shift occur?
Antigenic Shift This shift typically occurs when a human flu virus crosses with a flu virus that usually affects animals (such as birds or pigs). When the viruses mutate, they shift to create a new subtype that is different from any seen in humans before. A human flu virus infects an animal, such as a pig.
What causes antigenic drift?
20 Antigenic drift is caused by point mutations in the HA and NA genes that are driven by immune pressure and the infidelity inherent in the replication of RNA genomes.
What is antigenic drift?
Antigenic drift refers to the evolutionary accumulation of amino acid substitutions in viral proteins selected by host adaptive immune systems as the virus circulates in a population. Antigenic drift can substantially limit the duration of immunity conferred by infection and vaccination.
Which type of mutation occur of antigenic drift?
Does antigenic drift lead to new strains?
Antigenic drift: A subtle change in the surface glycoprotein (either hemagglutinin or neuraminidase) caused by a point mutation or deletion in the viral gene. This results in a new strain that requires yearly reformulation of the seasonal influenza vaccine.
What is meant by antigenic drift?
Antigenic drift refers to the gradual accumulation of point mutations during annual circulation of influenza as a consequence of the high error rates associated with RNA-dependent RNA polymerase during virus replication.
Why does antigenic drift happen?
What is the difference between antigenic drift and genetic drift?
Not to be confused with Antigenic shift or Genetic drift. Antigenic drift is a kind of genetic variation in viruses, arising from the accumulation of mutations in the virus genes that code for virus-surface proteins that host antibodies recognize.
Does influenza A have antigenic drift?
Antigenic drift occurs in both influenza A and influenza B viruses. (Confusion can arise with two very similar terms, antigenic shift and genetic drift. Antigenic shift is a closely related process; it refers to more dramatic changes in the virus’s surface proteins.
What is the difference between antiviral drift and antiviral shift?
Antigenetic drift is a genetic variation occurring in the viral genome due a development and accumulation of point mutations in the genes that encode H and N. Antigenetic shift is a variation occurs in the viral genome due to gene reassortment between two or more viral strains. Development of the Genetic Change.
What is antigenic shift?
Antigenic shift is a major antigenic change that occurs when an influenza A virus that bears a novel HA (or novel HA and NA) antigenically distinct from that of previously circulating influenza A viruses appears in the human population. Antigenic shift is a rare event that is responsible for worldwide epidemics or pandemics.