Dampened immunity during pregnancy promotes evolution of more virulent flu
Wednesday, March 8, 2017 - 15:31
in Health & Medicine
During pregnancy, a mother's immune system is suppressed to protect the fetus, which is perceived as a foreign body because it is genetically different. A study in mice found that suppressed immunity during pregnancy creates a window of opportunity for the H1N1 influenza virus to infect the mother and to rapidly, within a few days, mutate into a more virulent strain.