Rhinovirus and influenza viruses often cause reinfection in people that have already been a host to the disease.How is this possible?

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Both Rhinovirus and influenza viruses can exhibit antigenic variation, which is the result of genetic mutations in the viral genome. In the case of influenza, antigenic drift refers to small changes that occur over time, while antigenic shift is a more dramatic change that results from the reassortment of genetic material between different strains of the virus. As a result of these processes, the virus can become different enough from previous versions that the immune system no longer recognizes it and reinfection can occur.

Rhinovirus and Influenza Viruses Often Cause Reinfection in People That