Current research on drugs and vaccines for fighting bird flu

Bird flu, or avian flu, caused by the H5N1 virus, is of concern worldwide. The antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir have been used to treat human cases, and resistance has been reported. Studies on the molecular mechanisms of antiviral resistance are needed to understand the problem and to aid...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Main Author: Wiwanitkit, Viroj
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: Oxford University Press 2007
Subjects:
Online Access:http://trstmh.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/101/12/1171
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trstmh.2007.06.010
Description
Summary:Bird flu, or avian flu, caused by the H5N1 virus, is of concern worldwide. The antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir have been used to treat human cases, and resistance has been reported. Studies on the molecular mechanisms of antiviral resistance are needed to understand the problem and to aid future drug development. Control of a major outbreak would require a vaccine, but current manufacturing technology is not adequate to support influenza vaccine production in the event of an avian influenza outbreak.