Is antigenic shift alone likely to lead to influenza pandemics?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

While antigenic shift is responsible for the large-scale mixing of gene elements required to create a pandemic strain, it is often a combination of antigenic shift and drift that leads to the emergence of a pandemic strain. Antigenic drift is responsible for the gradual accumulation of mutations in the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase proteins, which can make individuals partially susceptible to the new strain. Antigenic shift provides the novel genetic elements that combine with drifted strains to produce a new pandemic strain.

Is Antigenic Shift Alone Likely to Lead to Influenza Pandemics