Swine Flu H1N1 Virus Prevention Treatment Health News Updates

Responding to a request from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved emergency use of the experimental intravenous antiviral drug peramivir to treat hospitalized patients with pandemic H1N1 influenza.

Tamiflu, the primary drug used to treat swine flu, is given orally, and Relenza, also used, is given as a nasal spray. Some experiments have been conducted with an intravenous form of Relenza and it has been credited with saving at least one swine flu patient's life, but it is considered more experimental than peramivir.

The problem with existing is that some people have difficulties tolerating the oral Tamiflu and that the nasal spray Relenza may not get deep enough into the lungs to reach the swine flu virus when it causes viral pneumonia. The emergency use authorization says peramivir can be used when other have failed or when delivery by a route other than intravenous is not expected to be feasible.

Peramivir, manufactured by BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc., is still in Phase 3 clinical trials. Known side effects include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and decreases in white blood cell count, all of which stop when its use is halted. It has not been tested in pregnant women.

Swine Flu Homeopathic Remedies Prevention Health News

Homeopaths want research centre for HINI.

With a second wave of H1N1 attack anticipated by experts in November, the underlying demand among people to have homeopathic centers has gained momentum again. A group of experts had sent recommendations to the central government asking for permission to start formal centers in and around the city.

Earlier, about two months back, a committee comprising of five members including principals of homeopathic colleges and Central Council for Research in Homeopathy, had sent recommendations about the treatment module, etc. to be followed by doctors across the state. While the recommendations were approved by the central government within 10 days, it kept mum on whether to allow homeopathic doctors to start formal centers to treat cases of swine flu.

"When swine flu was at its peak, we had many people coming to us for treatment but we had clear guidelines that we can provide only curative and not preventive care," said one of the members of the committee who had sent the recommendations to New Delhi. "We are willing to do more research on H1N1 virus but we did not have adequate access to patients as they were under the care of the pubic health department," the member added.

Additional chief secretary (health) of Maharashtra Sharvaree Gokhale states that at this stage the focus is to curb the spread of the virus with the best available resource. "Homeopathy can be used only as a preventive medicine to boost immunity," she said. "For curative, Tamiflu is the only answer."

Source Link: - http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_homeopaths-want-research-centre-for-hini_1300240