November 28, 2009 03:33am
TWO patients who were infected by a swine flu mutation that was also
recently detected in Norway have died in France, health officials say.
"This mutation could increase the ability of the virus to affect the
respiratory tracts and, in particular, the lung tissue," a statement from
the French government's Health Surveillance Institute (InVS) said today.
"For one of these patients, this mutation was accompanied by another
mutation known to confer resistance to oseltamivir," it added, referring
to the main drug being used to treat swine flu, under the brand name
Tamiflu.
The case was the first drug-resistant strain found in France among the
1200 strains experts have analysed here, the InVS said, adding that "the
effectiveness of vaccines currently available is not being questioned".
The two patients were not related and had been taken to hospital in two
different cities in France, it said.
The death toll in mainland France now stood at 76, the InVS statement said.
The World Health Organisation said yesterday it was investigating reports
of mutations in the swine flu virus, after half a dozen countries recorded
cases in which the virus was transforming.
TWO patients who were infected by a swine flu mutation that was also
recently detected in Norway have died in France, health officials say.
"This mutation could increase the ability of the virus to affect the
respiratory tracts and, in particular, the lung tissue," a statement from
the French government's Health Surveillance Institute (InVS) said today.
"For one of these patients, this mutation was accompanied by another
mutation known to confer resistance to oseltamivir," it added, referring
to the main drug being used to treat swine flu, under the brand name
Tamiflu.
The case was the first drug-resistant strain found in France among the
1200 strains experts have analysed here, the InVS said, adding that "the
effectiveness of vaccines currently available is not being questioned".
The two patients were not related and had been taken to hospital in two
different cities in France, it said.
The death toll in mainland France now stood at 76, the InVS statement said.
The World Health Organisation said yesterday it was investigating reports
of mutations in the swine flu virus, after half a dozen countries recorded
cases in which the virus was transforming.
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