ELI5, how come when you get an organ transplant, there’s a chance your body will reject it and your immune system will kill it. But when you get infected by a new disease, it’s difficult for your immune system to kill the disease.

Question

ELI5, how come when you get an organ transplant, there’s a chance your body will reject it and your immune system will kill it. But when you get infected by a new disease, it’s difficult for your immune system to kill the disease.

In: Biology

Answer 1

Okay like you’re five. With a new disease, your immune system doesn’t know it’s there relying on bumping into the virus (or what have you) by chance. With a whole organ the tissue will of course be immediately found by immune cells.