Hong Kong: Detection of human swine influenza virus resistant to Tamiflu in person from USA

[HenryN]

Re: Hong Kong: Detection of human swine influenza virus resistant to Tamiflu (7/3/09)

So the 274 was fit as a fiddle and contracted in the good ole USA.

GW

Exactly right.

H274Y - NO tamiflu required.

[the doctor]

Re: Hong Kong: Detection of human swine influenza virus resistant to Tamiflu (7/3/09)

So the 274 was fit as a fiddle and contracted in the good ole USA.

GW

[Commonground]

Re: Hong Kong: Detection of human swine influenza virus resistant to Tamiflu (7/3/09)

discovered during routine testing

The spokesman noted that PHLSB conducted routine sensitivity tests on specimens taken from confirmed HSI patients.

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Hong Kong: Detection of human swine influenza virus resistant to Tamiflu (7/3/09)

Coming from USA .

[HenryN]

Re: First Tamiflu-resistant swine flu case found in teenager (Hong Kong ex San Francisco)

NO indication that this case was Tamiflu treated.

[HenryN]

First Tamiflu-resistant swine flu case found in teenager (Hong Kong ex San Francisco)

<TABLE class=bodyCopy border=0 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=500 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>First Tamiflu-resistant swine flu case found in teenager
(10 mins ago)
A 16-year-old girl was found to be infected with a mutation of the swine flu virus that is resistant to the antiviral Tamiflu soon after arriving from San Francisco, the Department of Health said today.

It is the first such case in Hong Kong. Similar cases have been reported in Denmark and Japan.

The teenager was intercepted at the airport on June 11 and admitted to Queen Mary Hospital.

She opted not to be put on a course of Tamiflu before testing positive for the swine flu strain, which is known to be resistant to the antiviral.

She had mild symptoms and was discharged on June 18.

The case will be reported to the World Health Organization.

Danish health authorities have used Relenza, an alternative anti-flu medication, to successfully treat a female patient with the same strain.

The Japanese said a patient was found to be resistant to Tamiflu after being put on the drug since she was being diagnosed with the H1N1 virus around two weeks ago, Kyodo news agency reported yesterday.

The Osaka prefecture patient was recovering after having been given Relenza.

A spokeswoman for Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Roche, which makes Tamiflu, said the company had been informed of the case and described as ''normal'' such resistance to the drug.

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

She said such cases do not indicate Tamiflu has become less effective against swine flu.

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaki...l.asp?id=15461</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[Snicklefritz]

Hong Kong: Detection of human swine influenza virus resistant to Tamiflu (7/3/09)

The virus was isolated from the specimen taken from a 16-year-old girl coming from San Francisco. She was intercepted by Port Health Office at the Hong Kong International Airport on June 11 upon arrival. The girl was then admitted to Queen Mary Hospital for isolation. She was tested positive to HSI but opted not to take tamiflu. She had mild symptoms and was eventually discharged upon recovery on June 18.

Any questions?

[Giuseppe]

Hong Kong: Detection of human swine influenza virus resistant to Tamiflu (7/3/09)

A spokesman for the Department of Health (DH) said the department's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch (PHLSB) today (July 3) detected a strain of human swine influenza (HSI) virus which was resistant to oseltamivir (Tamiflu).


The virus was identified during PHLSB's routine sensitivity test of HSI virus to oseltamivir and zanamivir, the spokesman said.

"This is the first time Tamiflu resistance in HSI virus found in Hong Kong," he said, adding that similar cases were also reported in Denmark and possibly Japan.

"Tests showed that this strain is sensitive to zanamivir (Relenza)," he said.


The virus was isolated from the specimen taken from a 16-year-old girl coming from San Francisco. She was intercepted by Port Health Office at the Hong Kong International Airport on June 11 upon arrival. The girl was then admitted to Queen Mary Hospital for isolation. She was tested positive to HSI but opted not to take tamiflu. She had mild symptoms and was eventually discharged upon recovery on June 18.

The spokesman noted that PHLSB conducted routine sensitivity tests on specimens taken from confirmed HSI patients.

"This is the only Tamiflu-resistant strain so far among some 200 HSI samples tested in Hong Kong. Further tests are underway," he said.

Hong Kong has maintained an antiviral stockpile of both Tamiflu and Relenza.

The case will be reported to the World Health Organization (WHO), the spokesman said. He reiterated that Hong Kong had an intensive influenza surveillance system on antiviral resistant influenza viruses.

"We will closely liaise with WHO and overseas health authorities and monitor the global development of antiviral resistant HSI virus," he said.
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