scientist 43: the virologist – Derek Smith influenza mutation and vaccination (2013)

Did you know you have a 1 in 10 chance of getting the flu? In times when cancers can be treated, FLU or INFLUENZA continues to infect vast numbers of people. Professor Derek Smith of Cambridge University tells how influenza, so successfully eludes the immune system. And why is it that the FLU VACCINE you had years ago offers little immunity against getting the flu again?

Derek Smith is a Professor of Infectious Disease Informatics. He is also the Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Modelling, Evolution and Control of Emerging Infectious diseases. Smith uses a method called antigenic cartography to study the phenotypic evolution of rapidly evolving pathogens.

Follow-up link:

• See www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/research-reveals-details-of-how-flu-evolves-to-escape-immunity
• Cambridge Infectious Diseases – resource for infectious disease research www.infectiousdisease.cam.ac.uk/news

14/12/2013 Tagged biology, Chris Creese, health, Roger Frost

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