Experts are warning that a new drug-resistant strain of the flu virus may pose a serious threat to hospital patients.
This mutation of the influenza A (H1N1) virus has become resistant to the antiviral drug oseltamivir. Infection may be particularly dangerous for hospitalised patients with a weakened immune system, say experts led by Dr Jairo Gooskens of Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands.
Reporting in the Journal of the American Medical Association, they say that this mutation has been seen in several countries since January 2008. They write that the widespread circulation “suggests that these viruses retain significant transmissibility and pathogenicity [ability to cause disease].”
They add that early identification is crucial, and the prolonged isolation of infected patients is recommended, in order to prevent hospital influenza outbreaks.
A recent study confirmed that these viruses “can retain significant pathogenicity and lethality in elderly or immunocompromised patients”, “underlining the urgency for the introduction of new effective antiviral agents and therapeutic strategies”, they conclude.
The report is being released early online because of its public health importance, says the journal.
In an editorial, Dr David Weinstock of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA, explains that the understanding of influenza biology and epidemiology has advanced markedly, but the global spread of this strain “came as a great surprise”.
“One thing is certain – the organism will continue to evolve,” he writes. “For now, the best tools to mitigate influenza infection are tried-and-true – vaccination, social distancing, hand washing, and common sense.”
Dharan, N. J. et al. Infections With Oseltamivir-Resistant Influenza A(H1N1) Virus in the United States. The Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 301, March 11, 2009 pp. 1042-46, 1034-41.
Weinstock, D. M. and Zuccotti, G. The Evolution of Influenza Resistance and Treatment. The Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 301, March 11, 2009, pp. 1066-69.
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