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Tamiflu-resistant human swine influenza virus detected
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The Department of Health's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch (PHLSB) today (February 9) detected a strain of human swine influenza (HSI) virus which was resistant to oseltamivir (Tamiflu).

A department spokesman said the virus was identified during PHLSB's routine sensitivity tests of the HSI virus to oseltamivir and zanamivir.

"This is the eighth case of Tamiflu resistance to HSI virus detected in Hong Kong.

"Tests showed that this strain is sensitive to zanamivir (Relenza)," he said.

The virus was isolated from the specimen taken from a 53-year-old woman who has underlying chronic disease and is on long-term immunosuppressive therapy. She developed flu-like symptoms since January 16. She was admitted to United Christian Hospital (UCH) on January 19 and her nasopharyngeal aspirate specimen taken on January 24 tested positive for HSI virus and was sensitive to Tamiflu. She was discharged on January 24 in stable condition.

The patient was readmitted to UCH on January 28 for shortness of breath. Test results today showed that the virus isolated from the patient's nasopharyngeal specimen on January 29 was resistant to Tamiflu but sensitive to Relenza.

The woman had been prescribed with Tamiflu during hospitalisation and it is likely that Tamiflu resistance emerged during the course of drug treatment.

The spokesman said there was no evidence of further transmission of Tamiflu-resistant HSI from the patient.

The case will be reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The spokesman said that Hong Kong has an intensive surveillance system for antiviral resistant influenza viruses. The PHLSB conducts routine sensitivity tests on specimens taken from confirmed HSI patients.

"So far more than 6,500 HSI samples have been tested for antiviral sensitivity in Hong Kong," he said.

"We will closely liaise with the WHO and overseas health authorities to monitor the global development of antiviral-resistant HSI virus."


Ends/Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:54


http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/2011 ... 090237.htm

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www.twitter.com/hniman

HONG KONG, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the Department of Health said Wednesday it detected a strain A/H1N1 flu virus which was resistant to oseltamivir (Tamiflu), the eighth such case in Hong Kong.

A department spokesman said the virus was identified during PHLSB's routine sensitivity tests of the A/H1N1 flu virus to oseltamivir and zanamivir.

However, he added that tests showed that this strain is sensitive to zanamivir (Relenza).

The virus was isolated from the specimen taken from a 53-year- old woman who has underlying chronic disease and is on long-term immunosuppressive therapy. She developed flu-like symptoms since Jan. 16 and was admitted to the United Christian Hospital (UCH) on Jan. 19 and her nasopharyngeal aspirate specimen taken on Jan. 24 tested positive for A/H1N1 virus and was sensitive to Tamiflu. She was discharged on Jan. 24 in stable condition.

The patient was readmitted to the UCH on Jan. 28 for shortness of breath. Test results on Feb. 9 showed that the virus isolated from the patient's nasopharyngeal specimen on Jan. 29 was resistant to Tamiflu but sensitive to Relenza.

The woman had been prescribed with Tamiflu during hospitalization and it is likely that Tamiflu resistance emerged during the course of drug treatment.

The spokesman said there was no evidence of further transmission of Tamiflu-resistant A/H1N1 from the patient.

The case will be reported to the World Health Organization.

According to the spokesman, more than 6,500 samples from the A/ H1N1 flu patients have been tested for antiviral sensitivity in Hong Kong so far.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/c ... 724777.htm

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www.twitter.com/hniman

no.9.

This little girl didnt take tamiflu so the virus she picked up already had H275Y in it.



''This is the ninth case of Tamiflu resistance to A/H1N1 flu virus detected in Hong Kong."

He added that the strain is sensitive to zanamivir (Relenza).

The virus was isolated from the specimen taken from a seven-year-old girl who had enjoyed good past health. She presented with fever, sore throat, cough and runny nose from Jan. 31. The girl was admitted to the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital on Feb. 2. She was discharged the next day in a stable condition.

Her nasopharyngeal aspirate specimen taken on Feb. 2 tested positive for the HSI virus and was resistant to Tamiflu but sensitive to Relenza.

The girl was not prescribed with Tamiflu during hospitalization. ''



http://english.cri.cn/6909/2011/02/11/1461s620256.htm

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_deta ... 10217&fc=4

A 33-year-old man suffering from human swine flu (H1N1) has developed resistance to Tamiflu.

"This is the 10th case of Tamiflu resistance to human swine influenza virus to be detected in Hong Kong," a Department of Health spokesman said.

Tests show the strain is sensitive to another antiviral drug zanamivir - sold under the trade name Relenza.

The strain was identified during routine tests by the department on the swine flu virus for sensitivity to oseltamivir, or Tamiflu, and zanamivir.

This came as the death of a 69-year-old man on Monday at Queen Elizabeth Hospital brought to 12 the number of fatalities from swine flu this year.


The 33-year-old suffers from a chronic illness. He developed a fever and a cough on January 27 and sought treatment at Queen Mary Hospital, where he was prescribed Tamiflu.

On February 1, he was admitted to the hospital with a persistent fever, and discharged six days later in a stable condition. The department spokesman said the patient's mucus specimen taken on January 27 tested positive for swine flu, which did not show resistance to Tamiflu.

However, the virus in the specimen taken on February 3 tested resistant to Tamiflu but sensitive to Relenza.

It is likely that resistance developed during the course of drug treatment, the spokesman said. There is no evidence the patient has transmitted the disease to other people.

So far, more than 6,800 swine flu virus samples have been tested for antiviral sensitivity in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, two men aged 30 and 53 are in critical condition with swine flu and are being treated at the intensive care units of Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital.

Both are under Tamiflu treatment and on ventilation support. They bring to 30 the number of critically ill swine flu patients at public hospitals as of 2pm yesterday. STAFF REPORTER

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_deta ... con_type=1

There are no signs the human swine flu (H1N1) virus has mutated but the flu peak season will continue until mid-March, Secretary for Food and Health York Chow Yat-ngok said.

This came as the 11th case of a Tamiflu- resistant strain of the virus was confirmed in a four-year-old girl treated at Canossa Hospital on February 7. She did not require hospitalization and has since recovered.

Meanwhile, two more deaths brought to 14 the number of fatalities so far this year.

The deaths reported yesterday were that of a 72-year-old woman at Tuen Mun Hospital and an 84-year-old man at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Chow said it is still difficult to tell if the flu peak season has stabilized.

"We will keep an eye on the number of patients admitted to hospitals and the situation of [the disease's] spread in the city," he said.

"The figures so far remain high, but are not increasing. We predict the peak will continue for eight weeks until mid-March."

On Wednesday, the Department of Health had announced the 10th case of a Tamiflu-resistant strain. The 33-year-old man affected has also recovered since.

"We believe this is a single incident," Chow said to set to rest mutation fears.

"The man is a chronically ill patient and has already been discharged from hospital. Therefore we don't see a direct relationship between this case and virus mutation."

He also said cases of Tamiflu-resistance are not alarming.

"There are some genetic drifts which are related to the resistance of the virus to different types of anti-viral agents. But this is a very common phenomenon when it comes to influenza viruses," Chow said.

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