Swine flu 'growing in resistance' to Tamiflu

Strains of swine flu that are resistant to the drug Tamiflu are spreading, say experts, raising more questions about a government decision to spend £500 million stockpiling it.


Strains of swine flu resistant to Tamiflu are spreading, say scientists Photo: PA


Virologists at the World Health Organisation (WHO) have found about two per cent of H1N1 cases are now resistant to the anti-viral. Many of these patients have never taken Tamiflu, meaning they must have contracted a form of the virus from another person, which was already resistant. The finding, presented at the annual conference of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases in Canberra, are worrying because the drug is considered a main line of defence against swine flu. In the summer 2009 the virus caused a pandemic after it broke out in Mexico. It caused enormous concern to start with because the death rate appeared to be so high, but such alarm proved unfounded after it was discovered the mortality rate was much lower, because those with mild flu were not visiting doctors.
Nonetheless, during the summer pandemic it claimed at least 474 lives in England and Wales, while the following winter an additional 602 diedLacking a vaccine, ministers decided to spend £500 million buying tens of millions of doses. Tamiflu is meant to reduce symptoms and, if given early enough, save lives, although some scientists have raised question marks over its efficacy. Dr Aeron Hurt, of the WHO, said: “Sustained global monitoring for the emergence of resistance is important to underpin public health and guidance for clinical management. “Surveillance schemes should assess frequency of resistance in the community and in specific patient groups receiving treatment, such as severely immunocompromised, seriously ill patients in hospital, and patients not responding to antiviral therapy.” The Health Protection Agency said rates of detection of resistant swine flu “remain low”, but that it would closely monitor the situation.

source and credit a telegraph

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