Two girls in the United States who were given the anti-viral Tamiflu as a precautionary measure at summer camp have developed a swine flu virus strain that resisted the medicine.
Also, a 38-year-old Perth man became the first person in Australia to develop resistance to Tamiflu.
Although this is a typical process that occurs over time, health officials try to ensure the effectiveness of the anti-viral medicines for as long as possible.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO) both have recommended against taking Tamiflu unless swine flu has been diagnosed, to minimize the chance of resistance and extend the anti-viral’s effectiveness for as long as possible.
A newborn in Âu Lạc (Vietnam) has become the youngest in the country to contract swine flu, as health officials there confirmed 205 new cases, bringing the total number to 4,265.
Macau reported 63 new cases, bringing the total to 1,581, and Formosa (Taiwan) noted a rise in clusters of cases as the new school year begins. The Formosan Central Epidemic Command Center reported that 317 classes across 229 elementary, junior high and high schools were suspended as part of a plan to halt classes for 5 days if more than two pupils contracted the flu.
Formosa also reported her 12th death. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that based upon recent experience, school closure appears to be effective in slowing the rate of transmission of swine flu, although the effect is only temporary.
Worldwide, 3,606 people have succumbed to the pandemic, an increase of 51 fatalities over two days. Equally alarming is the fact that the swine flu cases confirmed worldwide, which number in the hundreds of thousands, are a gross underestimate of the true total.
Our continued appreciation for the efforts of health and education officials to protect people’s health. We join in concern and grief for all those afflicted by this contagion, and pray that all turn towards a life in balance with nature and animal co-inhabitants for the shielding of global health.
Referencehttp://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE58A40D20090911http://thegovmonitor.com/world_news/britain/latest-uk-swine-flu-update-from-the-nhs-4628.htmlhttp://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1054778http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2009/09/11/2003453279http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/11/content_12032302.htmhttp://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/11/content_12034506.htm
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