For those who read my blogs regularly, I apologize for not having written any for a few weeks. I was unable to write during that time.
You may have read about a new version of the flu virus that normally spreads among birds but have genetically changed so they can infect humans. So far, there have been 13 confirmed cases in humans in the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has published emergency guidelines for preventing and treating this new influenza A virus (also known as, H5N1 bird flu). The CDC is concerned because this virus has the potential to become pandemic.
The CDC is recommending that the antiviral medicine, Tamiflu (oseltamivir) be used against this new virus.
To prevent becoming symptomatically infected with this new virus, the CDC recommends taking more doses of Tamiflu than used for prevention against standard flu. That is, in people age 13 or higher, give 75 mg twice a day rather than 75 mg just once a day.
Doses for children under the age of 13 can be determined by physicians by reviewing a complex series of charts on the CDC website.
Treatment of this new bird flu with Tamiflu is not novel. What is new is that the treatment should be given even if the patient has had symptoms for more than 48 hours. This is different from guidelines for regular flu (do not use Tamiflu if symptoms have gone on for more than 48 hours).
For patients who are hospitalized with bird flu, the CDC recommends giving Tamiflu for 10 days, and clinicians can give higher doses.
These emergency guidelines also provide guidance for treatment of bird flu in newborns and prevention in children less than 1 year of age.
Contraindications for taking Tamiflu are being allergic to it or having end stage kidney disease not on dialysis.
Peter M. Hartmann, MD
Family Medicine & Psychiatry
