Tamiflu Was Effective With Avian Flu – What About The Swine Flu Bug?

October 22nd, 2009 by healthfitness

Tamiflu, whose familiar scientific name is oseltamivir, is part of a family of influenza fighting medicines called neuraminidase inhibitors. Tamilflu is used in the treatment of infections caused by both the influenza A and flu B viruses. Tamiflu, which requires a prescription, can be used both to treat the influenza if taken soon after symptoms become visible, or to stop the influenza. The difference between Tamiflu and a vaccine is that Tamiflu helps your immune system be in a position to fight off the progress of the viral infection, whereas a vaccine is just a straight injection of dead virus that causes your immune system to produce antibodies to fight off the bug itself.

Tamiflu demand has skyrocketed over the past year for numerous reasons. There was a shortage of available flu vaccine during flu season 2005, with in some cases barely enough for senior citizens or those with more susceptible immune conditions being able to get vaccinated. Also, the U.S. government was concerned that an outbreak of bird flu in the United States could leave the U.S. short on flu vaccines, causing them to hold back provisions just in case of an outbreak. However, the bird flu is different form human influenza. This is exacly the same scenario as swine flu today.

Bird influenza is much harder to transmit than human flu, requiring very close physical contact to spread the illness. Bird flu has been observed in countries where humans and animals are in close contact. There have been about 70 deaths worldwide and just about 130 infections since 2005. The principal concern of health officials around the world is that bird influenza will infect a person already carrying the human influenza strain, and that the two viruses will somehow swap genetic material, causing the bird flu to mutate into a virus that spreads much faster through the air, like human influenza, only this bug would be more fatal. A highly virulent strain of mutated bird flu could create a pandemic for the world, as did the Spanish influenza virus of the early 1900’s that killed 20 to 50 million people worldwide.

Unfprtunately, swine flu is much closer to the spanish influenza than the bird flu was. We did nonetheless learn alot from the bird influenza outbreak that prepared us for what is certain to be a sever pandemic of the swine influenza.

The bird influenza is associated with the influenza A strain H5N1 flu bug. Although not the same as the Spanish flu bug, the current avian flu strain does share many similarities with the Spanish flu strain. Original studies have shown that Tamiflu may be effective in helping to fight the effects of this flu virus if the medication is taken very early after influenza symptoms become visible. As a result, the demand for Tamiflu has skyrocketed as consumers have rushed to their doctors to obtain prescriptions and gone on the web to buy the drug from internet pharmacies.

Comparable findings have been documented with the swine flu. When Tamiflu is taken very early on it does appear to have a popsitive effect in combating the bug.

A Swiss drug maker, F. Hoffman La-Roche Ltd., currently has a tight hold on the manufacturing of Tamiflu. Biolyse Pharma Corp., when turned down in its bid to try to enter the Tamiflu marketplace, had decided as of December of 2005 to attempt to mass produce several tons of shikimic acid, which is the main ingredient in Tamiflu, from the needles of discarded Christmas trees, as well as other pine, fir, and spruce trees. Such trees are the main source of shikimic acid.

Oseltamivir, sold under the brand name Tamiflu, is one of several medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the healing and prevention of influenza. The CDC has announced that a swine influenza vaccine should be available fall 2009.

how to survive swine flu
survive the swine flu

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