viral mutation rate

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the frequency at which errors are introduced into the viral genome during replication, expressed as the number of substitutions per nucleotide per replication cycle; RNA viruses, which lack the proofreading activity of the cellular DNA polymerases, have mutation rates typically orders of magnitude higher than DNA viruses, enabling rapid evolution, immune evasion, and the development of drug resistance but also imposing a limit on genome size since excessive mutations produce nonfunctional progeny; the high mutation rate of RNA viruses such as influenza, HIV, and SARS-CoV-2 drives the rapid emergence of new variants and necessitates continuous updating of vaccines and therapeutic strategies