Journal article
Influenza viruses with reduced sensitivity to the neuraminidase inhibitor drugs in untreated young children.
AC Hurt, IG Barr
Communicable Diseases Intelligence | Published : 2008
Abstract
The neuraminidase inhibitors are a class of antiviral drugs used for both the prophylaxis and treatment of influenza infections. Clinical trials of these inhibitors detected a low level of resistant viruses from treated individuals, although a higher frequency was detected in children (5%-6%) compared to adults (1%-4%). In addition, there have been some previous reports of NA inhibitor resistant viruses being isolated from untreated individuals. Here we report on the NA inhibitor sensitivity of over 1,000 influenza isolates collected through the World Health Organization (WHO) global influenza surveillance program. Of the total number of viruses analysed, only 2 (0.2%) strains (an A(H1N1) st..
View full abstractGrants
Funding Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Heath Kelly, Joy Turner and Chris Birch of the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Victoria and Peter McMinn of the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Western Australia, for submitting the viruses A/Victoria/124/2005 and B/Perth/211/2001 and for gathering epidemiological information related to these viruses. In addition, the authors would like to thank all of the other laboratories that have submitted samples used in this study to the WHO Collaborating Centre. The Melbourne WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza is supported by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.