Search is Powered by Google
Bird Flu / Avian Flu News

Tamiflu works against avian flu H5N1 strain

Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS
Article Date: 01 Nov 2004 - 16:00 PDT

email icon email to a friend   printer icon printer friendly   write icon view / write opinions   rate icon rate article
Current Article Ratings:

Patient / Public:4 and a half stars

4.31 (13 votes)

Health Professional:4 stars

3.7 (10 votes)

Article Opinions: 1 posts

Researchers at Queen Mary Hospital, London, have revealed that Roche's Tamiflu, an anti flu drug, works against the bird flu virus H5N1 strain (the most lethal one). They say the drug is effective against avian and human forms of the virus.

In a study the researchers said that Tamiflu (oseltamivir) is effective against the strain that is now hitting Vietnam and Thailand.

Tamiflu is a neuraminidase inhibitor, it blocks the action of the viral enzymes.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has mentioned Tamiflu as the drug for tackling bird flu if ever a human pandemic breaks out.

Tamiflu has been used effectively in other strains of bird flu. In the Netherlands, in 2003, when 1,000 people were infected with the H7N7 strain, the drug proved to be very effective.

Tamiflu is currently used in Europe, USA and Japan for type A and B influenzas. It now seems that it is also effective against the bird (avian) flu virus H5N1 strain.

The WHO and many health experts around the world have warned of the risk of a massive outbreak of human to human bird flu. The WHO says Tamiflu could be the drug of choice for this pandemic (if it ever happens).

Pandemics hit the planet every 27 years. The last one hit about 36 years ago.

View drug information on Tamiflu capsule.





Personalized Homepage Weekly Newsletters Daily News Alerts
Opioid Induced Constipation ADHD Anxiety Asthma Autism Cancer Diabetes Lung Cancer Lupus Medicare / Medicaid Obesity and BMI Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells All 'What Is...' Articles All 'How To...' Articles

Ophthalmology Urology
About Us News Licensing Free Website Feeds Free Tools & Content Tell a Friend Accessibility Help / FAQ Article Submission Links Contact Us

add medical news today to your facebook
medical news gadget

Swine Flu Image

Swine Flu Updates

- Latest Swine Flu News
- What is Swine Flu?
- Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks
- Swine Flu - Top 20 FAQ
- Daily Email News Alerts
Stick with Medical News Today for the latest news updates on swine flu.


These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Top Article Star
Breakthrough In Universal Flu Vaccine Development, Japan
05 Feb 2009
A Japanese media source reported at the end of last week that a team of researchers working under Japan's Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has developed a new universal flu vaccine that will work against many types of...


Naps Aren't Just for Kids Anymore
Naps Aren't Just for Kids Anymore

A power nap may be the answer to the mid-day slump. Research suggests naps improve productivity, mental function, and motor function. They also may improve cardiovascular health.

more videos are available in our health videos section.