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Govt plans survey on Tamiflu-resistant flu
<!--// headline_end //--><!--// byline_start //-->The Yomiuri Shimbun
<!--// byline_end //--><!--// article_start //--><!-- google_ad_region_start=region1 -->The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry plans to conduct a nationwide survey of patients infected with a strain of influenza virus resistant to the major oral drug Tamiflu this winter, it was learned Tuesday.
While an increasing number of cases of the drug-resistant virus have been reported in the United States and Europe, the spread of such a virus in the country likely will disrupt medical institutions because Japan is one of the world's largest users of the drug.
The ministry plans to set up a research group for the survey.
According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), the drug-resistant virus accounted for about 2.8 percent of flu cases in Japan last winter. In the United States, however, the drug-resistant strain accounted for 11 percent of all cases last winter, while the ratio sharply increased to 98 percent in a preliminary survey conducted on 50 test samples in autumn last year.
The result prompted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to decide that the drug-resistant virus will be this winter's mainstream influenza, and to announce emergency treatment guidelines that recommend medical institutions to use antiflu drugs other than Tamiflu, such as Relenza.
In Europe, 20 percent of influenza viruses surveyed last winter were resistant to Tamiflu. In Norway, 67 percent of flu viruses were resistant to the drug. As countries where the use of Tamiflu is less prevalent also saw the drug-resistant virus, it is believed that the resistant virus has been spontaneously generated and spread across Europe.
Meanwhile, among foreign patients, including those from Southeast Asia, infected with H5N1 bird flu virus, which some experts fear could mutate into new strains of influenza that can be passed on to humans, those who did not take Tamiflu at an early stage all died. Considering the situation, the government and other organizations have stockpiled Tamiflu for 28 million people, including a supply being distributed as part of efforts to head off an outbreak of new strains of influenza.
However, if the Tamiflu-resistant virus spreads across the country while a new strain of influenza against which human beings have no immunity occurs at the same time, people likely will be infected with both viruses, leading the new strain of influenza to become resistant to Tamiflu. And it will result in an expansion of infection with the new strain as the stockpiled Tamiflu will not work on the patients.
The planned survey will be conducted by a research group comprising members mainly from the International Medical Center of Japan and other institutions.
The group will study epidemic situations in six or seven locations from Hokkaido to Kyushu, including Tottori Prefecture, where more than 30 percent of cases of influenza A virus subtype H1N1 were found to be resistant to Tamiflu.
The survey also will study causal associations between the occurrence of the resistant virus and the use of Tamiflu, and collect information on patients such as group infections in schools and households.
The group also will survey how antiflu drugs other than Tamiflu are used, and then will compile new treatment guidelines for the resistant virus.
According to the NIID, the drug-resistant virus this winter have been found in primary school-age patients in Miyagi and Shiga prefectures.
"We hope to find an appropriate way to use antiflu drugs as early as possible in preparation for further spread of the drug-resistant virus," a ministry official said.
(<!--// date_start //-->Jan. 14, 2009<!--// date_end //-->)
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<!--// headline_end //--><!--// byline_start //-->The Yomiuri Shimbun
<!--// byline_end //--><!--// article_start //--><!-- google_ad_region_start=region1 -->The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry plans to conduct a nationwide survey of patients infected with a strain of influenza virus resistant to the major oral drug Tamiflu this winter, it was learned Tuesday.
While an increasing number of cases of the drug-resistant virus have been reported in the United States and Europe, the spread of such a virus in the country likely will disrupt medical institutions because Japan is one of the world's largest users of the drug.
The ministry plans to set up a research group for the survey.
According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), the drug-resistant virus accounted for about 2.8 percent of flu cases in Japan last winter. In the United States, however, the drug-resistant strain accounted for 11 percent of all cases last winter, while the ratio sharply increased to 98 percent in a preliminary survey conducted on 50 test samples in autumn last year.
The result prompted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to decide that the drug-resistant virus will be this winter's mainstream influenza, and to announce emergency treatment guidelines that recommend medical institutions to use antiflu drugs other than Tamiflu, such as Relenza.
In Europe, 20 percent of influenza viruses surveyed last winter were resistant to Tamiflu. In Norway, 67 percent of flu viruses were resistant to the drug. As countries where the use of Tamiflu is less prevalent also saw the drug-resistant virus, it is believed that the resistant virus has been spontaneously generated and spread across Europe.
Meanwhile, among foreign patients, including those from Southeast Asia, infected with H5N1 bird flu virus, which some experts fear could mutate into new strains of influenza that can be passed on to humans, those who did not take Tamiflu at an early stage all died. Considering the situation, the government and other organizations have stockpiled Tamiflu for 28 million people, including a supply being distributed as part of efforts to head off an outbreak of new strains of influenza.
However, if the Tamiflu-resistant virus spreads across the country while a new strain of influenza against which human beings have no immunity occurs at the same time, people likely will be infected with both viruses, leading the new strain of influenza to become resistant to Tamiflu. And it will result in an expansion of infection with the new strain as the stockpiled Tamiflu will not work on the patients.
The planned survey will be conducted by a research group comprising members mainly from the International Medical Center of Japan and other institutions.
The group will study epidemic situations in six or seven locations from Hokkaido to Kyushu, including Tottori Prefecture, where more than 30 percent of cases of influenza A virus subtype H1N1 were found to be resistant to Tamiflu.
The survey also will study causal associations between the occurrence of the resistant virus and the use of Tamiflu, and collect information on patients such as group infections in schools and households.
The group also will survey how antiflu drugs other than Tamiflu are used, and then will compile new treatment guidelines for the resistant virus.
According to the NIID, the drug-resistant virus this winter have been found in primary school-age patients in Miyagi and Shiga prefectures.
"We hope to find an appropriate way to use antiflu drugs as early as possible in preparation for further spread of the drug-resistant virus," a ministry official said.
(<!--// date_start //-->Jan. 14, 2009<!--// date_end //-->)
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