Immune Evasion Flashcards
What have parasites evolved to be able to do?
They have evolved ways of evading the immune system
what do endoparasites do?
They mimic host antigens to evade detection and modify host immune response to reduce their chances of destruction
What does antigen variation in some parasites allows?
It allows them to change between different antigens during the course of infection of a host. It may also allow reinfection of the same host with the new varient. This is why the flu virus is so successful, there are many strains each with their own antigens and you can get the flu many times in your lifetime
How do some viruses escape immune surveillance?
By integrating their genome into host genomes, existing in an inactive state known as latency. The virus becomes active again when favourable conditions arise. An example of this is the herpes virus
