• Question: Do viruses change?

    Asked by Pol Medir to Carmen, Laura, Noel, Steph on 18 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Stephanie Dyson

      Stephanie Dyson answered on 18 Mar 2015:

      Yes they do. Some viruses can mutate so it stops the immune system recognising them. This is why viruses such as AIDs are so infectious because the virus constantly mutates and makes it hard for the body to recognise it as something treatable. That is why we don’t have a good vaccine against the virus yet we would have to stop it mutating once inside the body first.

      Steph

    • Photo: Carmen Denman

      Carmen Denman answered on 19 Mar 2015:

      Yes, viruses do change. They are smart, and evolve quicker than we humans can! If we develope a drug against one form of the virus it may mutate and come resistant or different in some way in order to survive.

      Cheers,
      Carmen

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