A variation of the pandemic 2009 A(H1N1) influenza virus that is resistant to oseltamivir (Tamiflu, Roche) appears to be spreading in Australia, at least in the state of New South Wales, according to a letter to the editor published online today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The report adds extra weight to a recent analysis by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that shows an uptick in the same oseltamivir-resistant influenza strain in the United States. If such resistance becomes widespread, it would deprive clinicians of a tried and true antiviral drug to treat serious influenza infections.
The 2 new studies on antiviral resistance comes on the heels of a CDC report released December 23 that describes yet another way in which influenza viruses are mutating. The CDC has disclosed that since July 2011, 12 patients have been infected with a swine-origin A(H3N2) virus that borrows a gene from the pandemic 2009 A(H1N1) virus (the latter virus is now considered seasonal, and seasonal influenza vaccines are designed to guard against it).
In the Australian study, 29 (16%) of 182 patients infected with the pandemic influenza virus between May 2011 and August 2011 harbored a version of the virus that was oseltamivir-resistant, write Aeron Hurt, PhD, a researcher at the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues. The 182 patients hailed from the New England–Hunter region of New South Wales. Of the 29 patients with the oseltamivir-resistant virus, only 1 had received the antiviral medicine before a virus sample was collected.
According to earlier studies, the oseltamivir-resistant virus is detected in less than 1% of patients with the pandemic 2009 A(H1N1) virus who have not been treated previously with the antiviral. In addition, "transmission has been documented only in closed settings or settings involving close contact with infected persons."
Among the patients with the resistant strain, 2 had shared a short car ride, and 8 belonged to 4 households with 2 members each. The remaining 19 patients had no known epidemiological link with each other. Most of the 29 patients lived within 31 miles of the city of Newcastle.
The virus strains of these 29 patients were closely related, "suggesting the spread of a single variant," Dr. Hurt and colleagues write.
Although the virus was resistant to oseltamivir, it was still susceptible to the antiviral medication zanamivir (Relenza, GlaxoSmithKline).
The Australian study was conducted during that country's influenza season, coinciding with winter in the Southern Hemisphere. The authors write that as the Northern Hemisphere heads into winter, public health authorities there should rapidly analyze pandemic virus strains from the outset to determine whether an oseltamivir-resistant version is spreading.
Resistant strains in the United States no longer linked to prior drug exposure
Public health authorities in the United States do not need too much nudging to watch for antiviral resistance. On December 19, Emerging Infectious Diseases, a CDC journal, published an article online reporting that from October 2010 through July 2011, 1.0% of pandemic 2009 A(H1N1) virus strains tested resistant to oseltamivir, up from 0.5% during the 2009 to 2010 influenza season.
Although the increase is small, the epidemiology behind the numbers suggests a low level of community transmission of the rogue virus, according to the authors. During the 2009 to 2010 influenza season, most patients with the resistant virus had been previously exposed to the antiviral drug, and many were severely immunocompromised, which may have increased the risk of developing resistance during oseltamivir treatment. During the 2010 to 2011 period, however, the opposite was true: most patients with the resistant virus had no history of oseltamivir exposure.
The authors call the rise of pandemic 2009 A(H1N1) virus strains with oseltamivir resistance "concerning," in light of how prepandemic versions had mutated to gain this edge. They note that the prevalence of such oseltamivir-resistant strains had risen to 12% in the 2007 to 2008 influenza season, and had topped 99% in the 2008 to 2009 season. This increase was not linked to prior exposure to the antiviral drug.
The loss of oseltamivir from the clinical arsenal would leave physicians and patients with only 1 effective antiviral drug, zanamivir, to treat a severe infection caused by the pandemic virus now in seasonal circulation, write the authors. They note that more than 99% of the strains of this virus are "inherently resistant" to the adamantane family of antivirals.
Related posts:
Green tea supplements beat flu better than vaccinations
TCM formula relieves mild H1N1 cases (Swine Flu) as well as Oseltamivir
Outbreak of Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 in Australia
New antiviral Laninamivir works against Oseltamivir resistant viruses
Top 5 anti-flu herbs
Source: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/756204?sssdmh=dm1.747366&src=nldne
Welcome to my collection of health articles. Most of them contain little nuggets of health wisdom that we can easily apply to our daily lives. As you can gather, I've been consuming all sorts of supplements over the years, most of them from iherb. They deliver on time (DHL), and prices are good. If you're a first-time buyer, use my code 'pot089' to enjoy up to $10 off.
Showing posts with label influenza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label influenza. Show all posts
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Green tea supplements beat flu better than vaccination
Flu season is now in full swing and seasonal vaccinations are being pushed from every corner. Nonetheless, a recent clinical trial showed that green tea-based supplements reduced the risk of flu by 75%. This is far better than the 60% risk reduction recently reported in the Lancet for vaccinations. Given that green tea provides a host of other health benefits and none of the risks of injections, it would appear to be a far superior alternative to vaccination.
Green tea: natural antiviral and immune enhancer
For many years it has been known that green tea polyphenols actively suppress many bacterial, fungal and viral species. On the virus front, green tea suppresses the adenovirus, Epstein-Barr, herpes simplex, HIV-1 and influenza viruses. EGCG, one of the main polyphenols in green tea, is mainly responsible for this suppression. Specifically, ECGC binds to the hemagglutinin of the influenza virus, which blocks it from attaching to (and infecting) target receptor cells. EGCG also alters the virus cell membrane, which further inhibits its ability to infect other cells. Another important component of green tea is the amino acid L-theanine, which has been shown to activate human gamma-delta-T lymphocytes to proliferate and make interferon-gamma, a potent antimicrobial cytokine. These lymphocytes are considered to be the body's first line of defence against infection. Green tea therefore offers a two-pronged protection from the flu which vaccination simply cannot match. But for final proof, we need clinical trials.
Green tea lowers flu risk: early clinical evidence
One early trial using green tea against the flu involved gargling three times daily with a weak solution of green tea (50 mg of catechins per cup, of which 60% was EGCG). The theory was that since the throat was a major infection site of influenza, gargling could stop the flu virus there. The theory was right: 1.3% of garglers contracted the flu vs. 10% of the control group. In another more sophisticated trial on 97 healthy adults, a proprietary blend of theanine and green tea polyphenols (apparently worth about 10 cups of green tea per day, but exact amounts were not disclosed) was used for three months during flu season. This trial was randomized, double-blind and placebo controlled. The supplement takers experienced 32% less illnesses and 35% fewer "symptom days." However, participants were included in the statistical analysis even if their compliance (actually taking the green tea pills) was only 70%.
Latest clinical trial provides stunning results: 75% less illness
More recently, a better controlled trial was performed on 198 health care workers. This was randomized, double-blind and placebo controlled: the gold standard in clinical trials. The treatment group was each given a daily dose of 378 mg green tea catechins (containing 270 mg EGCG) and 210 mg of theanine from November 2009 to April 2010. The compliance rate in this trial was better: 93% took their pills according to plan. Those taking the green tea experienced 75% less clinically defined flu infection and this was statistically significant (P=0.022). But not all observed sicknesses were bona fide flu. When laboratory tests were used to confirm real influenza infection, it showed that green tea provided a stunning 83% reduction in flu risk, however this was not statistically significant (P=0.112) due to the small number of actual flu cases.
Related posts:
Top 5 anti-flu herbs
The multiple health benefits of tea
Green tea burns abdominal fat
Green tea lowers cholesterol
A simple and affordable remedy for mild diarrhea
Black tea lowers blood pressure
Drinking tea while eating sweets may prevent obesity
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/034218_green_tea_flu_season.html#ixzz1ePxT4ebJ
Green tea: natural antiviral and immune enhancer
For many years it has been known that green tea polyphenols actively suppress many bacterial, fungal and viral species. On the virus front, green tea suppresses the adenovirus, Epstein-Barr, herpes simplex, HIV-1 and influenza viruses. EGCG, one of the main polyphenols in green tea, is mainly responsible for this suppression. Specifically, ECGC binds to the hemagglutinin of the influenza virus, which blocks it from attaching to (and infecting) target receptor cells. EGCG also alters the virus cell membrane, which further inhibits its ability to infect other cells. Another important component of green tea is the amino acid L-theanine, which has been shown to activate human gamma-delta-T lymphocytes to proliferate and make interferon-gamma, a potent antimicrobial cytokine. These lymphocytes are considered to be the body's first line of defence against infection. Green tea therefore offers a two-pronged protection from the flu which vaccination simply cannot match. But for final proof, we need clinical trials.
Green tea lowers flu risk: early clinical evidence
One early trial using green tea against the flu involved gargling three times daily with a weak solution of green tea (50 mg of catechins per cup, of which 60% was EGCG). The theory was that since the throat was a major infection site of influenza, gargling could stop the flu virus there. The theory was right: 1.3% of garglers contracted the flu vs. 10% of the control group. In another more sophisticated trial on 97 healthy adults, a proprietary blend of theanine and green tea polyphenols (apparently worth about 10 cups of green tea per day, but exact amounts were not disclosed) was used for three months during flu season. This trial was randomized, double-blind and placebo controlled. The supplement takers experienced 32% less illnesses and 35% fewer "symptom days." However, participants were included in the statistical analysis even if their compliance (actually taking the green tea pills) was only 70%.
Latest clinical trial provides stunning results: 75% less illness
More recently, a better controlled trial was performed on 198 health care workers. This was randomized, double-blind and placebo controlled: the gold standard in clinical trials. The treatment group was each given a daily dose of 378 mg green tea catechins (containing 270 mg EGCG) and 210 mg of theanine from November 2009 to April 2010. The compliance rate in this trial was better: 93% took their pills according to plan. Those taking the green tea experienced 75% less clinically defined flu infection and this was statistically significant (P=0.022). But not all observed sicknesses were bona fide flu. When laboratory tests were used to confirm real influenza infection, it showed that green tea provided a stunning 83% reduction in flu risk, however this was not statistically significant (P=0.112) due to the small number of actual flu cases.
Related posts:
Top 5 anti-flu herbs
The multiple health benefits of tea
Green tea burns abdominal fat
Green tea lowers cholesterol
A simple and affordable remedy for mild diarrhea
Black tea lowers blood pressure
Drinking tea while eating sweets may prevent obesity
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/034218_green_tea_flu_season.html#ixzz1ePxT4ebJ
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