WIDESPREAD USE OF TAMIFLU LEADS TO RESISTANCE - It doesnt take long for the flu virus to outsmart Tamiflu. Scientists have developed a tool that reveals the mutations that make the virus resistant, and they have identified new mutations that may render ineffective one of the few treatments currently available on the market. In theory, Tamiflu should only be used by patients in fragile health. But during the 2008-2009 flu season, the drug was used for the first time on a very wide scale. Resistant strains of the virus appeared within just a few weeks. Fortunately, even though the mutation induced a resistance to Tamiflu, it also caused a reduction in the replication rate of the virus. Once the use of the antiviral was dialed back to a more reasonable level, the resistant strains lost their competitive advantage, and they disappeared, submerged by competitors that were sensitive to the drug but had a higher rate of replication. These newly discovered mutations are reason for concern: they could allow the virus to be resistant while maintaining an elevated reproductive capacity.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 00:01:43 +0000
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