May 15 2008
Single anti-flu drug not enough to resist bird flu
May 15: As a precautionary measure against fast spreading bird flu in South East Asia the UK government has began to stockpile anti-viral drug Tamiflu. A recent research has found that stockpiling single drug will not be effective in resisting global flu pandemic.
Tests conducted on the H5N1 strain of bird flu that is rapidly spreading all across South East Asia has found that it is developing resistance to the leading anti-viral drug Tamiflu.
This study was conducted by the Medical Research Council and it emphasised the need for stockpiling more than one kind of drug. The UK government has stockpiled millions of doses of Tamiflu is reviewing its position.
The researchers found that when they passed X-ray crystallography on the key part of flu called neuraminidase (N1), which is responsible for the release of the virus from infected human cells and allows the disease to spread, they characterise a mutation in the structure of N1 that is observed in human cases of H5N1. Due to this mutation the virus become resistant to Tamiflu and remains vulnerable to Relenza.
While commenting on this the lead researcher of the study Dr Steve Gamblin said: “Stockpiling one kind of drug will not provide an effective cover over potential H5N1 pandemic. There is no need to worry as the mutant strains of H5N1 will not spread fast.”
A recent figure has shown that in total 382 people are affected by H5N1 bird flu and 241 of them were killed, the victims were mostly from South East Asia. Most of them who are infected by the disease are poultry workers who have come into intimate contact with infected birds.
Researchers also warn that if the virus acquires the ability to spread from human to human then it will pose huge threat to millions of people all over the world. Health experts in the UK have warned that if such a modified strain emerges then tens of thousands of people could die in Britain alone.
So detailed study and holistic prevention strategy is the need of the hour.
