BIO220H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: Hepatitis B Virus, Cowpox, Smallpox
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BIO220H1 Full Course Notes
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Lecture 23 (april 7, 2016): final topics in evolutionary medicine. Evolution in a vaccinated world: you are exposed to some pathogen vaccines allow you have the immune response to that pathogen, different vaccines. Inject the pathogen into you (but a less virulent form) Some pathogens produce toxins and your body can build up an immune response against the toxins: smallpox. As many as 95% of people had the smallpox virus. Milkmaids never got smallpox, but they got cowpox (more mild) Jenner exposed people with smallpox to the pus from cowpox from the milkmaids: immune responses can generate selection on pathogens, pathogens respond to changes in the immune response, hepatitis b. Vaccine targets a specific surface antigen called the a determinant. Vaccine exposes you to this antigen so that the immune response develops. A mutant virus arose that showed resistance to the vaccine. Vaccine drives the evolution of the virus: malaria. No vaccine currently in use but lots of trials.
