Is antigenic shift alone likely to lead to influenza pandemics?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Antigenic shift and drift both contribute to the emergence of pandemic influenza strains. Antigenic shift involves the reassortment of gene segments between different influenza virus strains, while antigenic drift refers to the gradual accumulation of mutations in the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes of a single influenza strain. Typically, antigenic drift leads to annual epidemics, while antigenic shift can produce novel strains that are completely new to the human population and are capable of causing pandemics. However, it is believed that the emergence of pandemic strains usually involves a combination of both antigenic shift and drift.

Is Antigenic Shift Alone Likely to Lead to Influenza Pandemics