A mechanism for influenza subtype disappearance.
We propose that changes in the antigenic region/s of influenza haemagglutinin can also cause changes in the binding site for host cells. If these changes have an overall deleterious effect on virus binding and hence on viral infectivity and reproduction one has a simple mechanism to explain the limited time span of influenza subtypes. Evidence is presented from the published results of other workers to support this hypothesis.
D000939:Epitopes; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D009154:Mutation; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000276:immunology; D013045:Species Specificity
D000939:Epitopes; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D007106:Immune Sera; D011991:Receptors, Virus