-
Mexican Federal Policemen wear masks in Mexico City - Source: Reuters -
Related
H1N1 swine flu has not peaked yet but seems to be waning in
Canada and the United States, signalling that the end of the
pandemic may be on the horizon, the World Health Organisation (WHO)
said.
A third wave of infections may still be ahead, Keiji Fukuda, the
WHO's top flu expert, said. But he added there was no sign of
widespread resistance to Tamiflu, the main drug used to treat the
H1N1 flu strain.
"I think it's fair to say that we still haven't fully gotten
through the pandemic and that it is possible that there could be
unexpected events which occur," Fukuda told a news
conference.
"It is quite possible to have a pandemic on the milder side. And if
we are experiencing that and the number of serious cases is kept
down, then it is something again for which we should all be
thankful," he said.
H1N1, which emerged in March, causes moderate symptoms in most
patients but poses greater risks to pregnant woman, young people
and patients with underlying health problems, according to the
WHO.
The United Nations agency declared a full-blown pandemic - at six
on its six-point scale - under way on June 11.
The flu strain has caused at least 7,826 deaths worldwide as of
November 27.
New flu strains which spark pandemics typically cause large
outbreaks and then go through a transition period when the virus
essentially becomes the seasonal influenza virus, Fukuda
said.
The WHO and its advisory committees are gathering scientific data
to assess the possible end of the pandemic, Fukuda said, telling
journalists: "I anticipate that at least sometime in 2010 we will
be discussing this in formal settings, in more concentrated
ways."
"Again, I think it's a little bit early to begin those discussions
now because we are still in a period where some countries are still
increasing in terms of infections, even though in some countries,
such as the United States and Canada, it looks like infections and
cases are going down," he said.
No widespread resistance to Tamiflu
Tamiflu, made by Swiss drugmaker Roche and known generically as
oseltamivir, remains the frontline antiviral against H1N1, though
the WHO is aware of 96 cases of resistance to the drug, according
to Fukuda.
"We do not see widespread resistance to oseltamivir anywhere," he
said.
Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 viruses have not spread to hospital staff or
beyond despite spreading among two clusters of patients in Britain
and the United States, the WHO said in a statement issued
overnight.
A dozen patients in Wales and North Carolina, all with severely
weakened immune systems because of underlying health conditions,
were infected with Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 in October and
November.
The Netherlands reported its first death on Thursday of a patient
suffering from a drug-resistant strain of H1N1.
The government health agency said he had been treated with
Tamiflu but had developed resistance to the drug.
Patients with severely compromised immune systems are highly
susceptible to infection, particularly difficult to treat and
especially likely to develop resistance, WHO said.
"Zanamivir should be considered as the treatment of choice for
patients who develop prolonged influenza illness despite treatment
with oseltamivir," it said.
GlaxoSmithKline and Biota make zanamivir under the brand name of
Relenza, a flu drug that is inhaled.
The WHO addressed concerns voiced in some media that ties with the
pharmaceutical industry among experts on the organisation's
advisory bodies may influence policy decisions, especially those
relating to the influenza pandemic.
It dismissed the suggestions, declaring that "numerous safeguards"
were in place to address any possible conflicts of interest in
experts serving on its advisory panels.
"Allegations of undeclared conflicts of interest are taken very
seriously by WHO and are immediately investigated."
