“I am not surprised by this information and affirm that it is something that could happen,” stated Dr. Pham Ngoc Dinh, Deputy Director of the Central Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology, regarding the case of a 14-year-old girl in Vietnam who developed resistance to Tamiflu in the treatment of avian influenza.
The patient was prescribed Tamiflu in February 2005 for prevention. Although she did not have direct contact with infected poultry, at that time she was taking care of her 21-year-old brother who was suspected of having avian influenza.
The virus isolated from the girl was identical to the virus found in her brother. Although she recovered, this case suggests that she may have contracted the virus from her brother rather than directly from poultry.
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Tamiflu sold in Phnom Penh |
Recently, scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison discovered that many viruses from the mixed H5N1 virus samples of the aforementioned girl had developed genetic mutations that rendered them resistant to Tamiflu. The entire mixture of H5N1 viruses from her samples also exhibited partial resistance to this medication.
According to Dr. Dinh, prior to this, Vietnam had already received indications that isolated strains of the H5N1 virus were resistant to Tamiflu. Vietnam sent samples of H5N1 patient specimens to Hong Kong and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for information exchange, as Vietnam is also part of the global influenza surveillance system established by the World Health Organization.
The Tamiflu-resistant samples, as reported, could very well be the specimens sent from Vietnam.
Dr. Dinh emphasized, “I want to affirm once again that the case of Tamiflu resistance is very normal, and it does not mean that the Tamiflu antiviral treatment is ineffective; rather, it remains the best reserve treatment and preventive measure against the H5N1 virus currently. The Central Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology is conducting trials on Tamiflu-resistant H5N1 viruses in the southern region.”
Dr. Le Quynh Mai, head of the Virology Department at the Central Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology, remarked, “This could be a sample from a patient in Thai Binh who was hospitalized due to H5N1 influenza and had been treated with Tamiflu.
If this is true, the patient is currently healthy and working normally. In light of this situation, we have gained more insights into the issues surrounding H5N1 virus resistance to adjust treatment protocols more effectively.
This is just an isolated case and does not indicate the overall situation regarding Tamiflu resistance, nor can we ascertain the level of resistance at this time. Therefore, the use of Tamiflu remains the most effective approach.”
THUY KHE
* Vietnam Faces the Risk of a Third Epidemic Season Vietnam is on the brink of a third consecutive avian influenza outbreak. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong emphasized this at a conference reviewing avian influenza prevention efforts in southern provinces, held in Ho Chi Minh City on October 15. He also urged localities to intensify their efforts in combating avian influenza. According to Mr. Bui Ba Bong, with the phenomenon of avian influenza spreading globally, international organizations have also warned of the potential for human influenza outbreaks. Therefore, if avian influenza prevention efforts are effective, Vietnam—one of the countries at high risk—will contribute to preventing a pandemic among humans. He noted that vaccination for poultry will be continuously conducted from now until the end of March 2007. All poultry, whether legal or illegal, must be vaccinated to limit the sources of infection. At the conference, Deputy Minister Bui Ba Bong announced the nationwide disinfection and sterilization program, which began on October 15 and will last for two months. According to reports at the conference, by early October 2005, approximately 32 provinces and cities across the country had initiated vaccination for poultry, with a total of over 48 million birds vaccinated. HAI DANG |
