Chapter 50.7, Problem 2LO

Summary Introduction

To describe: How the immune system has affected the pathogen’s evolution.

Introduction: Any pathogenic microbe must overcome both specific and nonspecific immune systems of the host to establish and cause an infection. Several pathogens modify their surface antigens to prevent detection by the immune system. This kind of natural selection enables the continuous survival of pathogens with the modified surface antigens. Universally, the influenza virus is considered an example of a virus that modifies its surface antigens frequently to prevent the identification and destruction by the immune system.