XK and influenza: Influenza viruses continually accumulate genetic changes in epitopes of two major surface proteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA), in a process known as “antigenic drift.” Though individual hosts develop long-lasting immunity to specific influenza virus strains after infection, antigenic drift helps the virus to escape immune recognition, leaving previously exposed hosts susceptible to reinfection and necessitating regular updates to the antigens included in the influenza vaccine (Gerdil, 2003).