Japan Reports Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Influenza Case

[yielddude]

Japan Reports Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Influenza Case -KyodoLast update: 7/2/2009 11:09:40 AMDOW JONES NEWSWIRES The health ministry said Thursday it has detected a genetic mutation of the new H1N1 strain of influenza A that is resistant to the anti-flu drug Tamiflu, the first such virus in Japan, the Kyodo News service reported. The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said the Tamiflu-resistant virus was detected in a man infected with the new influenza in Osaka Prefecture, Kyodo reported. -Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-5500 (END) Dow Jones NewswiresJuly 02, 2009 11:09 ET (15:09 GMT)

[yielddude]

Re: Japan Reports Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Influenza Case

Japan finds first case of H1N1 resistant to Tamiflu
Thu Jul 2, 2009 11:19am EDT

TOKYO, July 2 (Reuters) - Japan has confirmed its first case of a genetic mutation of the new H1N1 influenza that shows resistance to antiviral drug Tamiflu, a health ministry official said on Thursday.
Takeshi Enami, an official at the health ministry, said that the patient's sensitivity to Tamiflu had yet to be tested.

The patient, who was confirmed in May with the H1N1 strain of the flu in the Osaka prefecture of western Japan, has recovered since then and that no cases of the new flu have been confirmed around the patient, Enami said.

He could not confirm the age or the sex of the patient. (Reporting by Yoko Kubota; Editing by Alex Richardson)

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUST25492220090702

[St Michael]

Re: Japan Reports Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Influenza Case

Related thread:

First isolation of a secondary oseltamivir-resistant A(H1N1)v strain in Denmark (ECDC, edited)

One must wonder if this news is related to the recent fire sale of Tamiflu to third world nations:

Roche To Broaden Tamiflu Access

[Shannon Bennett]

Re: Japan Reports Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Influenza Case

LOL (ruefully) Yes, I wondered the same thing St. Michael. Time to unload those stocks.

[Mamabird]

Re: Japan Reports Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Influenza Case

In Osaka, the patient apparently had been diagnosed with Swine Flu before the administering of Tamiflu. See below:

"New swine flu fears: Drug-resistant strain of H1N1 mutation discovered
Agence France Presse

Thursday, July 2nd 2009, 12:43 PM

A genetic mutation of swine flu that is resistant to the anti-viral Tamiflu has been discovered in Japan, the first such case in the country, the health ministry said.

It was found in a patient who had been given Tamiflu since first being diagnosed with H1N1 around two weeks ago, Kyodo news agency reported Thursday, citing the Health, Welfare and Labour Ministry."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/07/02/2009-07-02_new_swine_flu_fears_drugresistant_strain_of_h1n1_discovered.html#ixzz0K84oXRSL&D

So, perhaps we will have a before and after genetic sequence of NA for comparative purposes.

In any event, these "isolated" incidents are already getting tiresome.

[St Michael]

Re: Japan Reports Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Influenza Case

They seem to be using the WHO/Roche's Danish Tamiflu resistance talking points:

Japan finds first case of H1N1 resistant to Tamiflu
Thu Jul 2, 2009
By Yoko Kubota

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan has confirmed its first case of a genetic mutation of the new H1N1 flu virus that shows resistance to Tamiflu, the main antiviral flu drug, a health ministry official said on Thursday.

But they said the mutated virus does not appear to be spreading and they see no immediate threat to public health.

They found the drug-resistant virus in a patient who was given Tamiflu to prevent infection but who developed symptoms anyway, the health ministry's Takeshi Enami said.

The World Health Organization has declared a pandemic is under way from the virus, known as swine flu.

One of the biggest fears is that it will change into a form that resists the effects of the two main antiviral drugs, Tamiflu, made by Switzerland's Roche AG and GlaxoSmithkline's Relenza.

Seasonal flu is no longer affected by older flu drugs and certain strains resist Tamiflu's effects, leaving doctors with fewer options for protecting the most vulnerable patients.

Enami said it was not clear if Tamiflu would have helped the patient, whose age and sex were not given.

The patient was given Relenza and recovered, and does not appear to have infected anyone else.

Kyodo News Agency reported that the patient is a female teacher in her 40s.

Tamiflu, known generically as oseltamivir, and Relenza, known generically as zanamivir, can be used to prevent infection if given early enough. Both can treat flu but Tamiflu is often preferred because it is a tablet, while Relenza must be delivered using an inhaler.

"As of now, we have decided that this does not have a great impact in terms of public health," Enami said.

Only one other case of Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 flu has been found, in a patient in Denmark. WHO officials said the case was isolated.

Flu viruses are notoriously mutation-prone and flu experts say it would not be at all surprising if this new H1N1 flu developed resistance.

"It was not something not to be expected," Roche spokeswoman Martina Rupp said. "This is line with what we already know from clinical trials."

Japan has confirmed 1,351 cases of the H1N1 flu to Wednesday, the health ministry website showed. The World Health Organization has confirmed more than 77,000 cases of the new H1N1 flu and 332 deaths. But U.S. officials say there are likely at least a million cases there alone.

(Additional reporting by Paul Arnold in Zurich; Editing by Maggie Fox)

[St Michael]

Re: Japan Reports Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Influenza Case

Tamiflu-resistant swine flu patient found in Japan: govt
Thursday, July 2, 2009 - 20:21
AFP News Briefs List

A genetic mutation of swine flu that is resistant to the anti-viral Tamiflu has been discovered in Japan, the first such case in the country, the health ministry said.

It was the second reported case of Tamiflu resistance linked to swine flu in less than a week.

The latest case was found in a patient who had been given the drug since first being diagnosed with A(H1N1) around two weeks ago, Kyodo news agency reported Thursday, citing the Health, Welfare and Labour Ministry.

The patient -- a woman in Osaka prefecture -- was recovering after having been given Ralenza, an alternative anti-flu medication, the report said.

A spokeswoman for Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Roche, which makes Tamiflu, said the company had been informed of the case and called it "normal."

"It is absolutely normal," she said, adding that "0.4 percent of adults develop resistance" to Tamiflu.

She said the case does not indicate Tamiflu has become less effective against swine flu.

Danish authorities announced earlier this week they had discovered resistance to Tamiflu in a female patient. Ralenza was also used successfully to treat her.

According to the latest World Health Organization figures, Japan has 1,266 reported cases of swine flu, but has so far recorded no fatalities.

[kiwibird]

Re: Japan Reports Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Influenza Case

May is a long time ago.

The patient, who was confirmed in May with the H1N1 strain of the flu in the Osaka prefecture of western Japan, has recovered since then and that no cases of the new flu have been confirmed around the patient, Enami said.

[gsgs]

Re: Japan Reports Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Influenza Case

The latest case was found in a patient who had been given the drug since first being diagnosed with A(H1N1) around two weeks ago, Kyodo news agency reported Thursday,

> whose age and sex were not given.
...
> Kyodo News Agency reported that the patient is a female teacher in her 40s.

[HenryN]

Re: Japan Reports Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Influenza Case

In Osaka, the patient apparently had been diagnosed with Swine Flu before the administering of Tamiflu. See below:

"New swine flu fears: Drug-resistant strain of H1N1 mutation discovered
Agence France Presse

Thursday, July 2nd 2009, 12:43 PM

A genetic mutation of swine flu that is resistant to the anti-viral Tamiflu has been discovered in Japan, the first such case in the country, the health ministry said.

It was found in a patient who had been given Tamiflu since first being diagnosed with H1N1 around two weeks ago, Kyodo news agency reported Thursday, citing the Health, Welfare and Labour Ministry."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/07/02/2009-07-02_new_swine_flu_fears_drugresistant_strain_of_h1n1_discovered.html#ixzz0K84oXRSL&D

So, perhaps we will have a before and after genetic sequence of NA for comparative purposes.

In any event, these "isolated" incidents are already getting tiresome.

This will also be H274Y and if it was in the initial sample, prior to treatment, then the acquisition (independent of recent treatment, will have been confirmed, Roche's handwaving notwithstanding).

[wotan]

Re: Japan Reports Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Influenza Case

This will also be H274Y and if it was in the initial sample, prior to treatment, then the acquisition (independent of recent treatment, will have been confirmed, Roche's handwaving notwithstanding).

Unfortunately they don't seem to mention if they have samples from before Tamiflu treatment with which to perform the necessary testing.

[HenryN]

Re: Japan Reports Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Influenza Case

Unfortunately they don't seem to mention if they have samples from before Tamiflu treatment with which to perform the necessary testing.

Yes they have the sample (and probably the sequence) because the patient was diagnosed with H1N1 BEFORE treatment. Thus, the sample that was H1N1 positive was collected PRIOR to treatment (and if that sample has H274Y, the swine H1N1 with H274Y is evolutionarily fit).

[wotan]

Re: Japan Reports Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Influenza Case

Yes they have the sample (and probably the sequence) because the patient was diagnosed with H1N1 BEFORE treatment. Thus, the sample that was H1N1 psoitive was collected PRIOR to treatment (and if that sample has H274Y, the swine H1N1 with H274Y is evolutionarily fit).

But would the sample have been discarded between then and now? I don't know the protocols for this in the US, let aloe Japan.

[Toaster2]

Re: Japan Reports Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Influenza Case

H274Y also in Washington :

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=259429#post259429

NOTE: seasonal flu, not novel H1N1

[HenryN]

Re: Japan Reports Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Influenza Case

Concern over case of drug resistant swine flu

2. July 2009 19:30

The influenza A H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak has now spread to almost all corners of the world - the last update, # 56, from the World Health Organisation (WHO) says there are now a grand total of 77,201 confirmed cases including 311 deaths.

That update, issued on the 1st of July, is of course already out of date as more cases are being reported on a daily basis.
According to the WHO the U.S. leads with 27,717 cases including 127 deaths, Mexico has had 8,680 cases including 116 deaths, Canada 7,983 cases including 25 deaths, Chile 6,211 cases including 12 deaths, the UK 6,538 cases including 3 death and Australia 4,090 cases including 7 deaths.
The WHO says the first H1N1 infection found to be resistant to the antiviral drug Tamiflu has occurred but is an isolated case and at present has no implications for public health.
The global pandemic of swine flu has to date been treatable with the drug Tamiflu and the WHO says the discovery of a patient in Denmark whose infection did not respond to the drug, does not mean the severity of the virus has increased.
Danish officials say the patient was found to be infected with a virus strain that had mutated to a form resistant to Tamiflu, but the alternative drug Relenza was effective - flu viruses are known to mutate regularly and can develop resistance to drugs at any time.
The WHO does say however that health authorities must remain alert and not become complacent as the virus can change at any time but that resistance to Tamiflu has been previously documented in the deadly bird flu virus H5N1 and seasonal H1N1 flu.
The WHO says the H1N1 virus must be monitored continuously - the WHO's global influenza surveillance network linking laboratories in 97 countries will see to that but the WHO says current recommendations for the use of antivirals will not be changed at present.
The pandemic flu alert has been raised by the WHO to its highest level of 6, signifying that the first influenza pandemic since 1968 is under way and some experts have expressed concern that Tamiflu might be less effective than Relenza following widespread reports of resistance to Tamiflu by seasonal H1N1 flu, a distant relative of the new swine flu virus.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also says that the isolated case in Denmark did not merit a change in the recommended use of Tamiflu as it remains a relatively mild influenza.
It is estimated that at least 20 companies are currently making flu vaccines some of which are expected to be available in the coming months.http://www.news-medical.net/news/200...swine-flu.aspx