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Ssa readies plan against A H1N1 mutation

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  • Ssa readies plan against A H1N1 mutation



    Ssa readies plan against A H1N1 mutation

    Get Government 100 thousand doses of the antiviral zanamivir, which would allow variation of disease control.

    Posted: Tuesday 09 February 2010 | 03:02 hrs.

    By: Silvia Gardu?o / Agencia Reforma
    Mexico, D.F.



    Faced with a potential mutation of the influenza virus A H1N1 that generates resistance to oseltamivir medication used to treat people infected, the federal government acquired 100 thousand doses of the antiviral zanamivir, which would control the variation of the disease.

    The National Commissioner Influenza, Alejandro Macias, said that so far identified five cases of H1N1 virus mutation are type 222, which is not associated with antiviral resistance.

    But he warned that the Health Secretariat (SSA) has been prepared against the 275 virus mutation, which causes resistance to oseltamivir - Tamiflu whose name is commercially sensitive - and has already been reported in isolation in several countries.

    "The 275 is the mutation that gives the virus an ability to become resistant to antivirals. Of these mutations are not found no one in Mexico that are the most serious, and have been associated with indiscriminate use of antivirals for prophylaxis .

    "Mexico and bought the first 100 thousand doses of zanamivir treatment to face a possible mutation 275, already in stores and are doing the paperwork to buy more zanamivir to cover that possibility. It is a policy to cover that risk is potential but that can happen, "he said.

    He explained that the mutation 275 of influenza virus A H1N1 may occur after excessive use of antivirals as a preventive measure, so that the SSA has controlled the supply of oseltamivir.

    On Monday, Reforma reported that the Institute of Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference (InDRE) placed five cases of mutation of the influenza A virus H1N1 (three deaths and two hospitalizations), which variation had been detected in Norway in November 2009 and was related with increased disease severity.

    According to Macias, these cases correspond to the 222 of virus mutation and is not proven that such variation to be necessarily linked to severe influenza.

    Macias urged people to follow vaccination against influenza A H1N1, it said, the vaccine protects against all H1N1 virus, even for those with the mutation 222.

    He explained that the influenza virus is always changing and that many are mutations that have no meaning in the behavior of the virus, ie they do no more transmissible or more resilient.




    / amc
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