Oseltamivir-resistant H1N1 virus
- April 16, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
No Comments
Oseltamivir-resistant H1N1 virus
Subject: Science and technology
Context: Oseltamivir-resistant H1N1 virus can transmit from wild ducks to chickens.
More on the News:
- When the influenza burden is high during certain years, the amount of antiviral oseltamivir used will be high. Much of it enters the water system and will end up driving antiviral resistance in avian viruses.
- Previous work has demonstrated that influenza virus can develop resistance to oseltamivir carboxylate (OC) when the virus infects wild ducks that are exposed to environmental-like OC concentrations suggesting that environmental resistance is a concern.
- Avian influenza strain H1N1 with the OC resistance mutation (NA-H274Y) has been found to retain resistance even when the environment did not contain oseltamivir carboxylate, suggesting maintained fitness of the virus.
- If wild birds, wild ducks in particular, are the first to be infected by influenza virus brought in by migratory birds, domestic poultry act as an important amplifying host, and a source of influenza virus evolution. The virus that has evolved can then spread from poultry birds to humans.
- A study recently published in the Journal of General Virology has demonstrated that oseltamivir-resistant strain can transmit from wild ducks to chickens and then spread between chickens, while retaining the resistance mutation in an experimental setting mimicking conditions suitable for natural transmission.
- Results demonstrate that regardless of the oseltamivir-resistance mutation, infection was detected in experimentally-infected chickens and chickens in contact with infected mallards.
- According to the authors, this may be due to poor species adaptation of the virus.
- Researchers found that mutation (NA-H274Y) that renders the virus resistant to oseltamivir carboxylate can remain stable in an environment even when oseltamivir carboxylate was not present.
- And there is no barrier to interspecies transmission of the antiviral-resistant virus per se, thus demonstrating a risk of an oseltamivir-resistant pandemic virus.
- The study turns the spotlight on responsible use of oseltamivir and surveillance for resistance development to limit the risk of an oseltamivir-resistant pandemic strain.
Oseltamivir
- Oseltamivir is an antiviral medication used in the treatment and prophylaxis of influenza A and B.
- It belongs to the class of neuraminidase inhibitors, which work by blocking the action of the viral enzyme neuraminidase. This prevents the release of new viruses from infected cells, and helps to reduce the severity and duration of influenza symptoms.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that clinicians use their discretion to treat those at lower risk who present within 48 hours of first symptoms of infectio
- It is also sometimes used in the prevention of influenza in people who have been exposed to the virus but are not yet showing symptoms.