Curiosity › Science › Biology and Medicine › When is a mutation in a virus or bacteria considered a new disease? › Reply To: When is a mutation in a virus or bacteria considered a new disease?
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Mutations in viruses and bacteria don’t necessarily create a new disease. In some cases, it’s just the intensity of a disease that changes. And of course, mutations would altogether create a new set of symptoms for a significantly different disease and the immune responses will vary. So if that’s the case, then it can be considered as a ‘new disease’ caused by the same virus or bacteria.