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HK detects Tamiflu-resistant A/H1N1 flu virus

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-02-11 20:35

HONG KONG - Hong Kong's Department of Health's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch (PHLSB) announced Friday that it has detected a strain of A/H1N1 flu virus which was resistant to oseltamivir (Tamiflu).

A department spokesman said the virus was identified during the PHLSB's routine sensitivity tests of the A/H1N1 flu virus to oseltamivir and zanamivir.

"This is the ninth case of Tamiflu resistance to A/H1N1 flu virus detected in Hong Kong."

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He added that the strain is sensitive to zanamivir (Relenza).

The virus was isolated from the specimen taken from a seven-year-old girl who had enjoyed good past health. She presented with fever, sore throat, cough and runny nose from Jan 31. The girl was admitted to the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital on Feb 2. She was discharged the next day in a stable condition.

Her nasopharyngeal aspirate specimen taken on Feb 2 tested positive for the human swine influenza (HSI) virus and was resistant to Tamiflu but sensitive to Relenza.

The girl was not prescribed with Tamiflu during hospitalization.

The spokesman said there was no evidence of further transmission of Tamiflu-resistant A/H1N1 flu virus from the patient.

The case will be reported to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The spokesman said that Hong Kong has an intensive surveillance system for antiviral resistant influenza viruses. The PHLSB conducts routine sensitivity tests on specimens taken from confirmed HSI patients.

"So far more than 6,700 A/H1N1 flu virus samples have been tested for antiviral sensitivity in Hong Kong," he said.