Bird flu resistant to anti-viral drug
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Thursday, December 22, 2005
- 65th human bird flu case reported In Egypt
- Taiwan culls 18000 chickens due to H5N2 virus outbreak
- Bangladesh reports first human case of H5N1 bird flu
- H5N1 Avian Flu virus has mutated, study says
- Wild Canadian Goose tests positive for H5N1 in England
In an article in the December 2005 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), researchers from Oxford University report that two recent avian flu fatalities in Vietnam were patients who had been treated with the anti-viral medication Tamiflu. There has been one other reported case of Tamiflu-resistance in Vietnam.
The NEJM report documents that during treatment of H5N1-infected patients with Tamiflu there can be selection for mutant virus variants that are Tamiflu-resistant. This is also been observed with other more common flu virus types. The chances of Tamiflu-resistance arising during H5N1 infections might be enhanced by two properties of H5N1; its ability to replicate rapidly and its ability to infect the gastrointestinal tract. In such cases, higher doses of Tamiflu and longer course of treatment may be needed. Combination treatment with other anti-viral drugs is a common strategy for dealing with viruses that become drug resistant.
Sources
- "Bird flu virus 'resisting drug'". BBC News Online, December 21, 2005
- Lawrence K. Altman "2 Who Died From Avian Flu in Vietnam Were Resistant to an Antiviral Drug". NY Times, December 22, 2005
- Menno D. de Jong, M.D., Ph.D, et.al. "Oseltamivir Resistance during Treatment of Influenza A (H5N1) Infection". The New England Journal of Medicine, December 22, 2005
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