H1N1 cases on the decline, but cases of Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 causing new concern

November 23, 2:23 PMH1N1 Headlines ExaminerSteve Oliver

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Courtesy of the CDC

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On Friday November 20th 2009   Dr. Anne Schuchat the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave an update on the H1N1 situation in the United States.

The good news is there is a decline in influenza hospitalization rates, however these rates still are higher than normal for this time of the year. Children 0 to 4 years old continue to be the group with the highest hospitalization rate due to H1N1. More good news is we have seen a decline in states reporting widespread influenza activity. 43 states are still reporting widespread activity which is a decline from 46 states that reported widespread activity last week. Vaccine availability is also up and production has increased rapidly. There are now 54 million H1N1 novel influenza vaccinations that have been made available with 11 million put into circulation last week.
 

The bad news is we are receiving reports that 4 patients at Duke University Medical Center in Durham North Carolina and 5 patients in Wales have H1N1 infection in which they virus has become resistant to Tamiflu. From USA Today:

Flu viruses swap genes as part of their normal evolution; that means resistant viruses could quickly spread worldwide, says Duke's Daniel Sexton.

Doctors are urged to show restraint when prescribing  antivirals .From Canada.com

According to Health Canada, Tamiflu has been shown to reduce the symptoms of illness by, on average, 1.3 days, or 30 hours. An average course of flu lasts approximately five to seven days.
"For the normal flu, they generally cut between a half a day and a day off of the length of symptoms," said Dr. Joel Lexchin, a professor in York University's School of Health Policy and Management.
"If we prescribe them for people with relatively mild flu, and the virus develops resistance, then they wouldn't be of very much use for people with severe cases of H1N1."

Doctors in Norway have isolated mutations in the H1N1 virus from genetic material that was taken from patients that have died from H1N1 influenza infections. Similar mutations have been isolated in the United States, Mexico and the Ukraine. The World Health Organization (WHO) says these mutations are a result of spontaneous changes in the H1N1 genetic makeup. It is not clear if these individuals were given an antiviral during their course of treatment. These mutations caused severe respiratory complications including bleeding in the lungs.We will have more on H1N1 mutations tomorrow.

 Later this afternoon November 23rd 3:30 PM EST H1N1 Briefing for Bloggers and Their Readers

Join the live Webcast to learn detailed information about influenza prevention and treatment, warning signs for parents, anti-viral medications, and vaccinations. A question and answer session will provide the opportunity to engage directly with leading communication and public health experts, including:
•    Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary, HHS
•    Anne Schuchat, Director, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC
Viewers can participate in the Webcast by sending questions via email to hhsstudio@hhs.gov or via Twitter by including the hashtag #FluCast  in their tweets. You may view this live broadcast here:

Also here is a great video for you and your kids about the influenza vaccinations:"Sid the Science Kid," where Sid explores the science behind flu vaccinations.

"In this special episode, Sid explains how vaccines work and shows millions of children what they can do to prevent the spread of the flu," said Secretary Sebelius. "Sid will be a great messenger as we continue to find new and creative ways to reach out to children, adults, and families about how to stay healthy during flu season.