2006-11-30 03:32:04 · 6 answers · asked by kuriozo 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Infectious Diseases
Both, See Antigenic Drift, Antigenic Shift.
2006-11-30 03:51:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Influenza viruses continually alter their antigenic structure with type A changes being much more frequent than type B and the vast majority of influenza cases each year are fortunately A as B tends to cause more widespread and more severe illness. The vaccine each year contains 2 strains of A and 1 strain of B and the vaccine is 50 to 70% effective in preventing influenza. The only effective approach to influenza is to immunize everyone although sadly we still tend to focus on 'high risk' individuals and the timely and supply of vaccine continues to be less than ideal.
2006-11-30 03:47:49 · answer #2 · answered by john e russo md facm faafp 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, theyre always mutating, just like every other life form including yourself. flu viruses just do it faster because it takes humans 20 years or so before they are old enough to reproduce versus maybe like an hour for flu viruses, and flu viruses dont have the repair mechanisms we do.
2006-11-30 03:34:08 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They constantly mutating and are carried to different places by people carriers.
2006-11-30 03:36:47 · answer #4 · answered by Dale 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Always Mutating... just like every other virus on the planet... kinda sucks huh???
2006-11-30 03:34:58 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
every flu virus is diffrent in some way. no two are the same kinda like snow flakes.
2006-11-30 03:34:17 · answer #6 · answered by certified pharmacy technician 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋