Anti-viral drugs are in storage.HEALTH organisations will rely on anti-viral drugs to fight swine flu if the number of cases continues to accelerate. The UK has stockpiles of two - Tamiflu and Relenza - both of which have been effective in treating the H1N1 strain of swine flu in other countries. Anti-virals are typically used to treat influenza, reducing the length of symptoms and usually their severity. If a flu pandemic pandemic /pan·dem·ic/ (pan-dem´ik) 1. a widespread epidemic of a disease. 2. widely epidemic. pan·dem·ic adj. Epidemic over a wide geographic area. n. were to start, anti viral drugs would be the first line intervention. If administered quickly to all patients with symptoms, they can reduce the duration of the disease and the risk of complications. Anti-virals are also commonly used to treat HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. and the herpes virus. The first anti-virals were developed in the 1960s. Modern antivirals work by targeting and disabling viral proteins. A spokeswoman for the DoH said there was currently a stockpile to treat around 50 per cent of the population. The stockpile consists of approximately 22 million doses of Tamiflu and around 10.5 million doses of Relenza. A global surveillance network called the Neuraminidase Inhibitor Susceptibility Network (NISN NISN NASA Integrated Services Network NISN Neuraminidase Inhibitor Susceptibility Network ) has been set up with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to monitor the possible emergence of viral resistance to these drugs.. |
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