By Helen Branswell, The Canadian PressMay 28, 2013 8:39 AM
TORONTO - A new study warns that resistance to the main flu drug Tamiflu seems to develop easily in infections with the new H7N9 bird flu.
The authors say early treatment with Tamiflu or other drugs in that class is still the best approach for treating these cases when they arise.
But they say the apparent ease with which resistance emerges is concerning and needs to be closely watched.
The article, published in the journal The Lancet, shows resistance arose in two of 14 patients studied in Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre.
H7N9 is a new bird flu virus that exploded onto the world's radar at the beginning of April when China began reporting a rapidly rising number of cases.
The outbreak appears to have subsided recently, with no new cases reported for the past couple of weeks.
To date, 131 cases have been reported and 37 of these patients have died. All the infections have been contracted in China. One case was reported in Taiwan, but that involved a man who had returned from working in China and it is believed he was infected there.
The neuraminidase inhibitor class of drugs — the class to which Tamiflu belongs — are the only flu drugs believed to be effective against this virus.
“The apparent ease with which antiviral resistance emerges in H7N9 viruses is concerning; it needs to be closely monitored and considered in future pandemic response plans," the authors, from China and Hong Kong, said in the article. http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Study+warns+drug+resistance+develops+easily+with+H7N9+bird/8444049/story.html
The authors say early treatment with Tamiflu or other drugs in that class is still the best approach for treating these cases when they arise.
But they say the apparent ease with which resistance emerges is concerning and needs to be closely watched.
The article, published in the journal The Lancet, shows resistance arose in two of 14 patients studied in Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre.
H7N9 is a new bird flu virus that exploded onto the world's radar at the beginning of April when China began reporting a rapidly rising number of cases.
The outbreak appears to have subsided recently, with no new cases reported for the past couple of weeks.
To date, 131 cases have been reported and 37 of these patients have died. All the infections have been contracted in China. One case was reported in Taiwan, but that involved a man who had returned from working in China and it is believed he was infected there.
The neuraminidase inhibitor class of drugs — the class to which Tamiflu belongs — are the only flu drugs believed to be effective against this virus.
“The apparent ease with which antiviral resistance emerges in H7N9 viruses is concerning; it needs to be closely monitored and considered in future pandemic response plans," the authors, from China and Hong Kong, said in the article. http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Study+warns+drug+resistance+develops+easily+with+H7N9+bird/8444049/story.html
