viral mutation
Germ's genetic shift
A viral mutation is a change in a virus's genetic material that occurs during replication.
Such mutations can alter how a virus spreads, how severe its symptoms are, or how well it evades immunity: The new viral mutation made the strain more transmissible.
Mutations are natural and constant—most are harmless, but some produce variants of concern.
- viral replicationPathogen self-copying process
- viral genomeVirus's complete genetic sequence
- virologyStudy of infectious agents
- deletionRemoval of content
- natural selectionDifferential reproductive success
recombination · mutagenesis · gain of function · transmissibility · insertion · pathogenicity · selective pressure · capsid · omicron · strain · genome sequencing · viral load · spread · super spreader · vaccine · herd immunity · shift · delta
- epidemiologyepidemic, epidemiology, pandemic, outbreak, endemic
- Fluflu, flu shot, flu vaccine, flu season, flu symptoms
- coronavirusescoronavirus, betacoronavirus, SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, SARS
- zoonotic diseaseszoonosis, zoonoses, zoonotic disease, rabies, leptospirosis