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What Effect Would Antibodies Have on a Virus That Causes the Flu?

When the body is threatened by infection with a bacterium, virus or other disease-causing agent (pathogen), the immune system responds by producing antibodies. Antibodies help protect the body from the effects of the flu virus.

  1. Features

    • Antibodies are the second part of the body's immune response against the flu; the first part is interferon, which primes cells to defend themselves from flu particles, according to Microbiology and Immunology Online.

    Effects

    • Antibodies become an important element of protecting the body from a strain a flu only once the virus has been cleared from the system, according to Microbiology and Immunology Online.

    Types

    • There are two different types of antibody that protect the body from re-infection by targeting two different viral proteins: IgG and IgA antibodies.

    Time Frame

    • IgG antibodies last longer than IgA antibodies and protect the body from a strain of flu for a longer time, according to Microbiology and Immunology Online.

    Considerations

    • Antibodies only act against particular strains of the flu virus, meaning that they cannot offer protection against other strains.

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