FDA bans use of anti-viral flu drugs in poultry

[eladdie]

Sorry if this is a dupe. This announcement is very very significant. TBTB are worried about drug resistance for these antivirals. Wish they would do the same ban for antibiotics.

Well, its a start.


FDA bans use of anti-viral flu drugs in poultry
By Jennifer Corbett Dooren
Last Update: 12:35 PM ET Mar 20, 2006

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The Food and Drug Administration Monday banned the use of anti-viral influenza drugs in chickens, turkeys and ducks in order to keep the drugs effective for use in humans.
The FDA's order prevents veterinarians from using Roche Holding AG's (RHHBY) Tamiflu and GlaxoSmithKline PLC's (GSK) Relenza in poultry. The order also prevents the use of two older anti-virals - amantadine and rimantadine - in poultry.

 

[Dove]

Re: FDA bans use of anti-viral flu drugs in poultry

It is an important move. The reason that the Vietnamese H5N1 strain (in both people and in birds) developed resistance to Amantadine is that farmers in Vietnam were inocculating their flocks with it. Resistance developed. Similar reistance is not found in the non-Vietnamese H5N1 strains that have made thier way to Europe, which means that the Amantadines will still be an effective treatment for those infected with non-Vietnamese strains of the virus.