Swine flu can become drug-resistant quickly, suggests study

The study was instigated by a team of doctors from the Agency for Science, Research and Technology in Singapore, when a Singaporean woman’s virus mutated into a drug-resistant form overnight.

"Our data indicate that oseltamivir (generic name of tamiflu) resistance developed within two days," lead author of the study Masafumi Inoue said.

Though the World Health Organization had declared the swine flu pandemic as over, the H1N1 virus still penetrates in many parts of Asia, particularly in India. It has also joined the other seasonal infections.

Tamiflu drug, that is, manufactured and distributed by Roche and Gilead Sciences had been rendered as ineffective for preventing some similar infections, when a drug-resistance was reported in 2008.

“Whatever the epidemiological data exhibit, clinicians should consider resistance when patients do not respond to treatment for pandemic (H1N1) 2009 because H275Y can emerge literally overnight, as the case reported here reminds us,” the researchers said.

The findings of the study have been detailed in the journal 'Emerging Infectious Diseases.'

Swine flu vaccines dumped in Africa
The swine flu vaccines that have expired or are damaged in the United States would be dumped in South Africa, according to reports.

“After all, the people of Africa don't need to know that the timing is off by a year and, in any case, they should be grateful to get "valuable" swine flu vaccines at a cheaper rate, even if they don't need them,” the Associated Press said.

Very few cases of swine flu were reported in Africa, after the pandemic broke out last year, with 20 from Botswana, 40 from Zimbabwe, 55 from Mozambique, and 35 from Angola.

Other African countries also reported lower figures of the pandemic, except South Africa that reported 12,500 cases.

According to data provided by the Associated Press, in July 2010, about 40 million doses of the total supply produced by the US had already expired and would be incinerated by public health authorities.

Mix of seasonal influenza A and swine flu dangerous
"The potential for re-assortment of co-circulating seasonal influenza A viruses with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus within New Zealand generated considerable interest during the recent 2009 Southern Hemisphere influenza season," said Matthew Peacy from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research in New Zealand, who initiated a study on the subject.

"This co-circulation poses a risk for further re-assortment for the pandemic strain, which could result in a new pandemic strain."

Of particular concern is the potential generation of an oseltamivir-resistant pandemic strain,” concluded the research team.