This season's flu strains found resistant to two antivirals, CDC reports

[CAL/AAEM News Service]

This season's flu strains found resistant to two antivirals, CDC reports

Source: AHA News Now (http://www.ahanews.com/ahanews/index.jsp)
Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2006


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised clinicians Saturday not to
prescribe two commonly used antiviral medications (amantadine and
rimandatine) to treat or prevent flu this season, because most of the flu viruses
circulating are resistant to the drugs. The agency instead recommended prescribing
Tamiflu (oseltamivir) or Relenza (zanamivir), antivirals that remain effective against
this season's flu viruses. Thankfully we still have antivirals available that work, but
this new development serves as a reminder of the importance of getting people vaccinated
to prevent them from getting influenza in the first place, said CDC Director Julie
Gerberding. The agency plans to continue testing this year's flu viruses for resistance
to antivirals and update recommendations as needed.

For more information, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/han011406.htm


Cyrus Shahpar & Brian Potts 
Managing Editors, CAL/AAEM News Service
University of California, Irvine

The CAL/AAEM Archives are available at: http://maillists.uci.edu/mailman/public/calaaem/


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