0 Flu symptoms 2013: Chinese bird flu is resistant to drugs

Scientists have discovered a mutation in the new strain of bird flu, showed for the first time in humans in March this year in China, which makes it resistant to key drug without limiting its ability to spread among mammals, Reuters reported, citing published in the journal " Nature Communications ".

The discovery means that unlike seasonal flu strains that often become more difficult transmissible when develop resistance to drugs such as "Tamiflu" to "Roche", the new virus of  bird flu H7N9 has not lost its ability to spread, although developed resistance.





And while it does not strain H7N9 potential to cause a human pandemic, researchers say doctors should be more cautious use of antiviral medications in the treatment of infection with it and be able to use other drugs besides Tamiflu, like Relenza to "GlaxoSmithKline".


"Usually drug resistance damage of viruses, but what surprised us is that in the case of H7N9 resistance does not diminish its ability to spread" says Nicole Bouvier, head of the research team from the hospital "Mount Sinai" in New York.

Experts remind that there is still no evidence of continuing and easy spreading H7N9 strain among people. Published in August scientific analysis, however, offer the most convincing evidence to date that the virus is able to "jump" from person to person and has the potential to cause a human flu pandemic.

In a separate study, experts from the U.S. announced this week that while it is not impossible H7N9 to become easily transmissible from person to person , the virus will have to pass through multiple mutations to achieve it. This means that scientists around the world should continue to monitor it "vigilant" and monitor for signs that developed similar potential .