"Oseltamivir is still OK to Overcome Bird Flu"

[Gert van der Hoek]

Recently mrs Endang, the Minister of Health in Indonesia, suggested the possibility of growing resistance against Tamiflu in an Indonesian H5N1 strain.

Today a column by her Director General Tjandra Yoga Aditama.

| Director General Pak column |

Machinetranslation

Oseltamivir is still OK to Overcome Bird Flu

24/01/2012


Tamiflu Oseltamivir by the brand as we know as a drug used to treat bird flu. The research data from 6 countries including Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Turkey, Egypt and Indonesia showed substantial recovery.

This was conveyed by the Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Health (P2PL) Ministry of Health, Prof. Dr. Tjandra Yoga Aditama SpP (K), MARS, DTM & H, DTCE to SEHATNEWS.com in Jakarta.

Of the 188 who were treated with oseltamivir, 88 or 47 percent had recovered healing. Of 56 untreated oseltamivir, 7 who recovered (or only 12%) "So there are real differences between the use of oseltamivir with that do not use drugs," said Tjandra.

Data from the World Health Organization says that of 81 cases using oseltamivir global, 21 gain in the first 2 days of fever. Of the 21 men, 18 survived, three died.

 

[Giuseppe]

Re: "Oseltamivir is still OK to Overcome Bird Flu"

Other than the clinical failure during antiviral drug oseltamivir treatment of a patient affected by an influenza A virus, it is also important to evaluate the genetic profile of the viral isolates, ie if the neuraminidase gene has one of the several known mutations correlated with reduced susceptibility to the drug (one of the most known is the H274Y but also a combination of other amino-acid substitution could have an impact on tretment response).

For this purpose genetic analysis should be performed when a clinical failure is suspected and the results made available to public health agencies in order to reassess a correct treatment regime.

Indonesia has detected H5N1 viruses in the past with somewhat reduced susceptibility to oseltamivir as reported in the scientific literature; however, these viruses retained sensitivity to other antiviral compounds, such as zanamivir and peramivir.

Antiviral treatment is part of a comprehensive treatment strategy that includes ancillary techniques such as fluids replacement, ventilation, empirical antimicrobial therapy with broad-spectrum antibiotics, cardio-pulmonary monitoring, correction of the effect of multi-organs failures etc.(IOH)