Antigenic evolution of viruses in host populations.

ABSTRACT: To escape immune recognition in previously infected hosts, viruses evolve genetically in immunologically important regions. The host's immune system responds by generating new memory cells recognizing the mutated viral strains. Despite recent advances in data collection and analysis, it remains conceptually unclear how epidemiology, immune response, and evolutionary factors interact to produce the observed speed of evolution and the incidence of infection. Here we establish a general and simple relationship between long-term cross-immunity, genetic diversity, speed of evolution, and incidence. We develop an analytic method fusing the standard epidemiological susceptible-infected-recovered approach and the modern virus evolution theory. The model includes the factors of strain selection due

SUBMITTER: Rouzine IM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6173453 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature