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Antigenic Drift and Shift MeSH Descriptor Data 2025


MeSH Heading
Antigenic Drift and Shift
Tree Number(s)
G05.045.300.500
G05.330.320.500
G05.365.073.500
G12.500.249.500
G16.075.300.500
Unique ID
D000088603
RDF Unique Identifier
http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/D000088603
Scope Note
Changes in the ANTIGEN population by slow and minor (antigenic drift) or sudden and major mutations (antigenic shift). Accumulation of minor mutations in antigenic drift over time may require development of new vaccine (e.g., seasonal FLU VACCINES). Antigenic shift on the other hand is less common but may result in emergence of a new subtype or species and sometimes pandemics (e.g., H1N1 pandemics in 2009 and 2018 and COVID-19) due to lack of HERD IMMUNITY to the newly emerged novel pathogen.
Entry Term(s)
Antigen Drift
Antigen Drift and Shift
Antigen Escape
Antigen Shift
Antigen Shift and Drift
Antigenic Drift
Antigenic Escape
Antigenic Shift
Antigenic Shift and Drift
Previous Indexing
Antigenic Variation (1990-2021)
Public MeSH Note
2022
History Note
2022
Date Established
2022/01/01
Date of Entry
2021/07/09
Revision Date
2021/06/30
Antigenic Drift and Shift Preferred
Antigenic Drift Narrower
Antigenic Shift Narrower
Antigenic Escape Narrower
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