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Tamiflu rsistance has been reported in TWO summer campers in North Carolina. Clusters of tamiflu resistance are cause for concern.

http://www2.wspa.com/spa/news/local/art ... amp/25541/

The first cases of swine flu resistant to Tamiflu in the country came from a Henderson County camp.

Two campers from Camp Blue Star in Henderson County are resistant to Tamiflu, an antiviral for the swine flu.

One camper resides in Buncombe County and the other lives in Florida.

“Both are fine,” said Tom Bridges, Health Director for the Henderson County Health Department.

The campers became ill with swine flu in July while receiving Tamiflu for exposure to other ill campers. Both had mild illness and have since recovered. The two cases were discovered by the CDC through testing of samples submitted by Henderson County Health Department through the N.C. State Laboratory of Public Health. Camp Blue Star completed all camp sessions planned and is now closed for the season.

The nation's first cases of H1N1 resistant to Tamiflu came from a Henderson County camp, health officials said Friday.

Two campers from Camp Blue Star in Henderson County are resistant to Tamiflu, an antiviral drug used to treat the swine flu.

One camper resides in Buncombe County, and the other lives in Florida.

The campers became ill with H1N1 in July while receiving Tamiflu for exposure to other ill campers. Both had mild illness and have since recovered.

"Both are fine," said Tom Bridges, health director for the Henderson County Health Department.

The two cases were discovered by the federal Centers for Disease Control through testing of samples submitted by the Henderson County Health Department through the N.C. State Laboratory of Public Health. Camp Blue Star has completed all summer camp sessions and now is closed for the season.

Other camps in Henderson County reported cases of swine flu as well as campers and staff with flu-like symptoms over the summer. In June, three cases of swine flu were confirmed in counselors at Camp Judaea, and five children at Camp Ton-A-Wandah had flu-like symptoms.

Now that there is a resistance to Tamiflu, health officials are alerting caregivers across the state.

State Epidemiologist Megan Davies is reminding them that the use of antivirals as prevention might be considered for people at higher risk of complications or for health care workers with an unprotected exposure to influenza.

However, watching carefully for symptoms after an exposure and treating early if symptoms develop could be an appropriate alternative in these settings. Overuse of an antiviral drug increases the likelihood for developing resistance to that treatment, she said.

http://www.goupstate.com/article/200908 ... to-Tamiflu

Blue Star Camps is an American Camp Association accredited summer camp for Jewish children ages six to sixteen. We offer a truly amazing program that is customized to meet the needs and interests of each individual child. Blue Star presents our campers with a variety of activities ranging from Creative Arts, Land Sports, Outdoor Adventure and Nature, Waterfront, Tennis, Horseback, as well as a Living Judaism program. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, Blue Star empowers campers to develop independence, self-esteem, new skills and life-long friendships. Owned and directed by the Popkin family for sixty years, Blue Star is a sanctuary from the stresses of the “real world” where magic is made each summer in our child-centered world.

http://www.bluestarcamps.com/

Location of camp near Hendersonville

http://flutracker.rhizalabs.com/flu/gma ... 375&zoom=8

From yesterday's CDC press conference:
Most of the influenza viruses typed are novel 2009 influenza AH1N1. These viruses remain similar to the ones that were chosen for the vaccine that's in development, and vast majority remain susceptible to anti-viral drugs, also Tamiflu and Zanamivir. Flu is unpredictable and it's hard to say what our season will look like, but preparation is important.

http://cdc.gov/media/transcripts/2009/t090821.htm

Anthony Fauci: No, but just underscore what Jay said, the ideas of recombinations of viruses, it's not that we want to pooh-pooh it as being insignificant. It's not surprising we see this infecting turkey because the bird, swine, human access with influenza is well-established. There's all possibilities of recombination that we haven't seen, the recombination between the seasonal and H1N1 and pandemic H1N1 is always of interest and concern because of the resistance to Tamiflu in the seasonal...........

State public health officials are asking health care providers across the state to adhere to guidance pertaining to the use of antivirals for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. Caregivers are being reminded that the use of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) as a preventative measure should be limited to people at higher risk for influenza complications and the health care workers who care for them.

The call for strict adherence to CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and state medical treatment guidelines comes on the heels of CDC testing two North Carolina viral samples found to have resistance to oseltamivir. Both samples, taken in July, were from people who were receiving oseltamivir as a preventative measure after they had been exposed to others who had the virus. Both had mild illness and have since recovered. The two cases were discovered by the CDC through testing of samples submitted by the N.C. State Laboratory of Public Health.

"When it comes to the use of antivirals, our primary concern is that they be used for those who really need them," State Epidemiologist Megan Davies said. "Healthy people who are exposed to the flu don't need to take antivirals for prevention."

http://www.digtriad.com/news/health/art ... 82&catid=8

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/08220 ... 4Y_NC.html