Girl Has Drug-Resistant Case of Bird Flu

By MALCOLM RITTER AP Science Writer
Associated Press
ABC News

"NEW YORK Oct 14, 2005 — The bird flu virus that infected a Vietnamese girl was resistant to the main drug that's being stockpiled in case of a pandemic, a sign that it's important to keep a second drug on hand as well, a researcher said Friday.

"He said the finding was no reason to panic.

"The drug in question, Tamiflu, still attacks 'the vast majority of the viruses out there,' said Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Tokyo and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The drug, produced by Swiss-based Roche Holding AG, is in short supply as nations around the world try to stock up on it in case of a global flu pandemic.

"He also said it's not surprising to see some resistance to Tamiflu in treated individuals, because resistance has also been seen with human flu.

"In lab tests, the girl's Tamiflu-resistant virus was susceptible to another drug, Relenza, which is made by GlaxoSmithKline.

"Kawaoka and colleagues report the case in the Oct. 20 issue of the journal Nature, which released the study Friday. The researchers conclude that it might be useful to stockpile Relenza as well as Tamiflu.

"Both drugs are being stockpiled by the U.S. government. Doctors have good reason to believe Tamiflu would be effective at combatting a pandemic strain of bird flu, although it's not clear how long people would have to be treated or what doses they'd need, said Dr. John Treanor of the University of Rochester." Click the title to read the article.

With the onset of a possible bird flu pandemic, read Diseases & Impaired Immunity to find out if your own immune system is already compromised. Read more to learn how you can help yourself while waiting for the right vaccine to come along.

GET THIS FREE REPORT! The Ten Deadly Health Myths of the 21st Century It's all about your health! TOP NEWS STORIES ...LATEST HEALTH NEWS