# 2425
Maryn McKenna, writing this time for CIDRAP News, has a roundup of flu related news coming out of the 48th ICACC (Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy) meeting going on in Washington, D.C. through tomorrow.
The main thrust of her report addresses a presentation on the increasing number of antiviral resistant influenza cases being detected in the United States, and around the world. Maryn also reports on several other presentations, including:
- Protecting newborns from flu
- High-dose flu shots for elderly
- Testing nondrug flu defenses
- C difficile peak follows flu peak
I've only printed the opening paragraphs to Maryn's article, you'll definitely want follow the link to read Maryn's comprehensive report in its entirety.
Drug-resistant flu viruses cause growing concern
Maryn McKenna
Contributing Writer
Oct 27, 2008 – WASHINGTON, DC (CIDRAP News) – Health officials worldwide are becoming increasingly concerned about influenza viruses' resistance to antiviral drugs, which can shut down a flu infection or mitigate symptoms. Flu antivirals are vital for reducing severe illness and death in average flu seasons and could be essential bulwarks against an influenza pandemic if one began.
There are currently only four antiviral drugs for flu, grouped into two classes, the adamantanes (amantadine and rimantadine) and the neuraminidase inhibitors (oseltamivir, or Tamiflu, and zanamivir, or Relenza). Flu scientists have known since 2005 that seasonal flu viruses have become widely resistant to the adamantanes, with at least 90% of H3N2 strains and at least 15% of H1N1 strains impervious to the drugs. That leaves only oseltamivir and the less widely used zanamivir as treatment options and has made oseltamivir the most commonly used influenza antiviral in the world.
But speaking at a major infectious-disease meeting here Sunday, Dr. Nila Dharan of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) disclosed that 12.6% (142 of 1,124) of H1N1 isolates sent to the CDC from around the United States during the 2007-08 season were resistant to oseltamivir, versus less than 1% before 2007.
And in a troubling addition, the CDC found that none of the patients who gave the isolates had taken oseltamivir, casting doubt on the widely held belief that oseltamivir resistance, when it occurs, is not transmissible. 1. (Dharan NJ, Gubareva L, Klimov A, et al. Oseltamivir-resistant influenza A [H1N1] in the United States, 2007-2008 [Abstract V-918])
Maryn also has another update on blog, Superbug, about an outbreak of Zyvox-resistant staph in Madrid.
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