Microbiology and Immunology 3300B Lecture : Immunology Notes
20 Feb 2012
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Document Summary
Humans and pathogens have coevolved: the jc virus has successfully coevolved with us. The initial infection is in the gi tract and is largely asymptomatic. The virus persists in the gi for the life of the patient, without symptoms. Jc virus is an old human pathogen, and has infected humans since at least 200,000 years ago. It is able to avoid immunity without compromising host health because it has had lots of time to adapt to our bodies. Ebola virus has not undergone coevolution with us. Infection is rare and it is highly lethal. Person-to-person transmission is rare due to rapid death of infected patients. It is a new human pathogen (1976), and was probably zoonotic (bats). Its rarity and severity has offered few opportunities for coevolution. Malaria avoids an immune response by avoiding entering the spleen. There has been coevolution between malaria (plasmodium species) and humans/mammals.
