Quote:
Originally Posted by newB
The word you're looking for is 'mutable,' viruses are highly mutable - often changing their surface proteins so that whatever antibodies you have that are specific for recognizing the original protein coat are no longer effective against the newer strains. This is a major reason why effective HIV drugs have been so long coming (HIV is EXTREMELY mutable), and also the reason why it is encouraged to get flu shots every year as the vaccine changes to target newer strains.
However, the plague is caused by a bacteria, Y. pestis, and not a virus.
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Thanks for clarifying. Yes mutable was indeed the word I was looking for. My brain's bloody tired today...
And didn't know it was caused by a bacteria.
By the way someone gave me a chicken some time ago and a few weeks later all my cats were walking around with tons of fleas, turned out the chicken was infected and passed them on to my cats... fucking hell. Frontline drops in the neck of the cats didn't help so I've been spraying all animals with flea killer the past days, including the chicken.