What is antigenic drift? Why are RNA viruses more prone to this phenomenon than DNA viruses are?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Answer is Antigenic drift refers to the gradual change in a virus' antigens, due to the accumulation of point mutations in the virus' genome. RNA viruses are especially prone to antigenic drift because the key enzyme involved in genome duplication, RNA polymerase, is incapable of proofreading. The DNA polymerase of DNA viruses, on the other hand, can detect and replace most of the point mutations it may introduce, greatly reducing the number of mutations that enter the genome. Consequently, changes in viral antigens are far less likely.

What Is Antigenic Drift? Why Are RNA Viruses More Prone