Another example of a continuously evolving virus is the human flu virus. The vaccine for this virus is constantly changing because the rate at which the virus reproduces is incredibly fast. With so many chances for the virus to reproduce, it makes it gives the viruses more chances to create more diverse offspring and more chances for the offspring to contain mutations that have a resistance against the vaccines and our own natural immune systems. As the human body continues to adapt and grow resistance to certain strains of the human flu, the human influenza virus is also finding its own ways to survive. It almost seems as though the influenza virus is evolving along side with the human immune system, which is why it seems as though humans are having a huge impact on the way the viruses evolve.
The biggest contributors to viral evolution are the vaccines themselves. Researchers have come up with what seems like a vaccine for every virus that they know will infect human bodies. Vaccines work by injected a small amount of a seemingly harmless strain of whatever virus researchers feel will be the most prevalent that season against humans that way the human immune system can begin to secrete the antibodies necessary to combat the virus when you come in actual contact with it. However, because of the high rate of replication and mutation in viruses, usually by the next year, viruses have found a way to combat the vaccine for the strain in the previous year, or have an entirely new strain altogether. With that being said, it seems as though the vaccinations we receive have the biggest affect on viral evolution to date.
Although it may not seem so, every action we take might be another step towards building our immune system to help combat another strain of virus, which in turn causes the virus itself to evolve as well. There is no “solution” to viral evolution, because to stop viral evolution would most likely mean the stop viral reproduction completely. Whether it be the glass of orange juice you drank to help bolster your immune system a little, or the vaccination that you receive at the doctor’s office to help you immune system a lot, humans have been a direct source of evolution for many viruses and will continue to evolve alongside these viruses for many more years to come.
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References:
Britt, Robert R. "Swine Flu Is Evolution in Action." LiveScience.com. Live Science, 28 Apr. 2009. Web. Feb. 2013.
MacLachlan, Allison. "Everyday Evolution Revealed in Flu Shots." LiveScience.com. Live Science, 06 Oct. 2011. Web. Feb. 2013. <http://www.livescience.com/16433-everyday-evolution-flu-shots.html>.
Zimmer, Carl. "10 Genes, Furiously Evolving." The New York Times. The New York Times, 4 May 2009. Web. Feb. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/health/05virus.html?pagewanted=all>.
Image from: Bioquell
I agree that there is no clear winner or solution to this evolutionary arms race. The public must understand the mechanisms of how vaccine and viral evolution work in order to prevent creating negative images about vaccines.
ReplyDeleteHey. I think we're in for an epidemic of H1N1.
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