Common Flu Exhibits Drug Resistance

Substitute isn't safe for everyone

(NEWSER) - The dominant flu strain circulating in much of the US is nearly 100% resistant to Tamiflu, the most commonly used antiviral, the Los Angeles Times reports. Despite a milder than usual flu season, the resistance is still causing concern, and the CDC is advising doctors to substitute Tamiflu with Relenza, another antiviral, or mix it with an older one. More»

Virus is on the rise after declining for years

(NEWSER) - Get ready for a possible resurgence of bird flu: The UN is warning that wild bird migrations have brought the deadly virus to formerly virus-free countries, and adds that a mutant strain of H5N1 is spreading in Asia. The mutant strain can get around the defenses of current vaccines, the UN said in a statement calling for greater surveillance of any possible outbreaks. A 6-year-old girl died Aug. 14 in Cambodia of bird flu, the eight H5N1 death in that country this year, the AP reports. More»

Tamiflu-resistant cluster crops up in NC; 3 of 4 patients dead

(NEWSER) - The swine flu outbreak is slacking off in some areas, but don't get complacent, officials say: Pandemics naturally fluctuate. "There can be multiple ups and downs over the season," says a CDC doctor. "We have many weeks ahead of us where disease is going to be circulating." Infections in people under 65 have dropped in the past month, but the holiday season is a recipe for transmission. More»

(NEWSER) - Diagnosed cases of swine flu have jumped sixfold in some parts of England over the last week, the Guardian reports. Suspected cases have risen almost 50% across the country. The pandemic has killed 16 people in the UK so far. British doctors say they are being overwhelmed by patients demanding the antiviral drug Tamiflu, and they complain that conflicting advice from the government is creating hysteria. More»

A hybrid could stymie vaccines, increase disease's killing power

(NEWSER) - Among the scarier prospects for the future of swine flu, which has reached pandemic status but killed relatively few people, is that it mixes with bird flu to form a lethal hybrid. Jokes about flying pigs aside, a mix of the easily spreadable H1N1 and the especially virulent bird flu is "a nightmare vision" for scientists, the Guardian reports. More»