A strain of the H5N1 flu virus that resists the antiviral drug Tamiflu has been analysed by scientists. Tamiflu, known generically as oseltamivir, is expected to be almost the only defense against the virus in the early stages of any H5N1 pandemic.
But New Scientist can reveal that this discovery does not mean the drug will become useless. The mutation that made the virus resistant is already well known in ordinary human flu, and it seems to make both ordinary flu - and now H5N1 - less able to cause further infections.
It's not all bad news but resistants in a virus is never good news.
1 comment:
Looks like all the European countries that stocked up on it are going to be scrambling for something else. Unless of course, the resistant strain dies out - which could very well still happen.
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