Giuseppe
Emeritus
Antiviral Drugs for Treatment of Patients Infected with Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Virus (Emerg Infect Dis., extract, edited)
[Source Full Document: LINK. EDITED.]
DOI: 10.3201/eid1511.090720
Suggested citation for this article: Hartley DM, Nelson NP, Perencevich EN. Antiviral drugs for treatment of patients with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus [letter]. Emerg Infect Dis. 2009 Nov; [Epub ahead of print]
Antiviral Drugs for Treatment of Patients Infected with Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Virus
To the Editor:
The emergence of influenza A pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus in North America and associated illness and death suggest that humanity faces a dangerous threat. Viruses isolated from a sample of patients with confirmed cases in early phases of the outbreak demonstrated resistance to amantadine and rimantadine.
At present, circulating viruses appear to be largely susceptible to the neuraminidase inhibitors oseltamivir and zanamivir, although oseltamivir resistance has been observed in recent cases in Europe, Asia, and North America (1). More recently, pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus resistance to oseltamivir emerged during treatment of 2 immunosuppressed patients in the United States. Such cases demonstrate that oseltamivir resistance can emerge in infected persons treated with oseltamivir. To date, all isolates tested have been susceptible to zanamivir.
Vaccines are being deployed in some well-resourced countries but are generally not available to the public. It appears that little if any protection is offered from previous seasonal influenza vaccines.
In the spring of 1918, epidemiologic observations indicated the likely emergence and spread of another influenza virus (H1N1) that caused few deaths. However, later that year, transmission resurged and was associated in 2 waves with increased illness and deaths.
We cannot predict whether the 2009 pathogen will follow a similar temporal pattern and evolve toward increased virulence. Even if vaccine development and delivery could be achieved within 6 months, an aggressive schedule, large supplies of vaccine against pandemic (H1N1) 2009 may not be available until late 2009.
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[Source Full Document: LINK. EDITED.]
DOI: 10.3201/eid1511.090720
Suggested citation for this article: Hartley DM, Nelson NP, Perencevich EN. Antiviral drugs for treatment of patients with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus [letter]. Emerg Infect Dis. 2009 Nov; [Epub ahead of print]
Antiviral Drugs for Treatment of Patients Infected with Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Virus
To the Editor:
The emergence of influenza A pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus in North America and associated illness and death suggest that humanity faces a dangerous threat. Viruses isolated from a sample of patients with confirmed cases in early phases of the outbreak demonstrated resistance to amantadine and rimantadine.
At present, circulating viruses appear to be largely susceptible to the neuraminidase inhibitors oseltamivir and zanamivir, although oseltamivir resistance has been observed in recent cases in Europe, Asia, and North America (1). More recently, pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus resistance to oseltamivir emerged during treatment of 2 immunosuppressed patients in the United States. Such cases demonstrate that oseltamivir resistance can emerge in infected persons treated with oseltamivir. To date, all isolates tested have been susceptible to zanamivir.
Vaccines are being deployed in some well-resourced countries but are generally not available to the public. It appears that little if any protection is offered from previous seasonal influenza vaccines.
In the spring of 1918, epidemiologic observations indicated the likely emergence and spread of another influenza virus (H1N1) that caused few deaths. However, later that year, transmission resurged and was associated in 2 waves with increased illness and deaths.
We cannot predict whether the 2009 pathogen will follow a similar temporal pattern and evolve toward increased virulence. Even if vaccine development and delivery could be achieved within 6 months, an aggressive schedule, large supplies of vaccine against pandemic (H1N1) 2009 may not be available until late 2009.
(...)
-
-----