becoming increasingly resistant to the Tamiflu drug

The Ukmedix Newsroom has previously reported about research which shows that some influenza viruses in different parts of the globe are becoming increasingly resistant to the Tamiflu drug. A study done recently shows that a number of viruses found in patients in Europe did not react to the oseltamivir compound which is the key ingredient of Tamiflu.

Now it appears that the most common seasonal influenza virus in America and Canada is also becoming increasingly resistant to the Tamiflu drug which means that in the future it might need to be modified to beat a bird flu virus.

The World Health Organisation which reported the increased resistance to Tamiflu of the influenza virus in America did however say that just because regular influenza viruses were becoming more resistant to Tamiflu it did not mean that the bird flu virus (H5N1) would also become more resistant. On the basis of this it said that it would still recommend that Tamiflu was the most effective drug to treat human cases of the influenza virus.

The World Health Organisation has established a very big databank of information about flu viruses in different areas of the world and by using the information they have they can see how influenza viruses are changing and mutating.  This could mean that they will get advanced warning about a possible mutation of the H5N1 bird flu virus into a form which could be very dangerous and contagious to humans.

The United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has also been monitoring influenza viruses and says that around five percent of  H1N1 influenza viruses showed a resistance to Tamiflu when they were tested. The figure for influenza viruses collected in Canada was around six percent. Despite these reports there is no question about the fact that the Tamiflu drug remains the number one treatment for beating a potential bird influenza pandemic.