The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, know as the CDC, has now identified 2 carriers of a new drug-resistant variant to the flu. This is significant because, while variants are very common (the flu is constantly mutating), there are only a handful of protocols for defeating the onset and severity of the flu, one of which is oseltamivir phosphate, aka Tamiflu. This new drug-resistant strain, known as the Dual Mutant, may render Tamiflu ineffective as a treatment.
According to one report in the CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal at least 15 countries have identified carriers of the Dual Mutant strain, and while the occurrence rate remains below 1%, the mere fact that it is spreading so widely (and possibly independently) is cause for concern. In fact, according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Dr. Andy Pekosz, a virologist, “There’s active global surveillance going on looking for these mutations. We want to know when they come up, because that could really have major implications for how we treat influenza.”
“They appear in a lot of places, but they’re never really the dominant virus in any place they appear,” Pekosz said.
At least not yet.
As of now, the Dual Mutant reduces the impact of Tamiflu by a factor of 16. This does not mean that there are no effective defenses against the virus, however. In fact, there are laboratory studies that show that other antiviral treatment, such as baloxavir marboxil or Xofluza remain effective. These are not as widely available as Tamiflu, however.
More (or even most) importantly, flu vaccinations seem to be effective in preventing dual mutant flu illnesses.
