NEWS: Chinese Moves Render Bird Flu Drug Useless

With the approval of the Chinese government, Chinese farmers have been treating their poultry with Amantadine, violating International Livestock Guidlines and rendering the drug now useless in the human fight against H5N1, the Avian Bird Flu. The farmers have tried to suppress the Avian outbreaks in poultry with use of the drug for years now and it is believed that the treatment of the chinese poultry with Amantadine has caused it to no longer protect humans against the H5N1 strain in the case of a predicted worldwide pandemic.



Approval for use of the Amantadine in China came for the farmers by the Chinese Agriculture Ministry which allowed the sale and production of the drug for use in animals. It has been long suspected that the country has been using the drug at poultry farms and researchers at the U.S centre for disease control have now collected information on the use of the drug within the country via various chinese websites.

The drug is one of two medications used in the treatment of human influenza but it was found the the H5N1 strain found in Vietnam and Thailand had beecome resistent to the drug. The alternative medication is more costly to produce and difficult to produce in large quanities.



[edit on 18-6-2005 by Mayet]

Wow, thats incredible. I'd've not even thought about anti-disease measures in livestock resulting in an 'evolutionary arms race' the results in more virulent and harder to stop versions of the disease in humans before. Thats pretty horrible.

Amazing that this drug was even allowed to be distributed to the Chinese market.
Didn't someone somewhere think that this could happen?

Totally irresponsible actions by the Chinese government in this matter and it may now be putting us all at risk if they cannot contain the outbreak. I am bumping this due to recent reports on ATSNN regarding Avian Flu

Fred

Unfortunately it seems the original story links have now disappeared off the Internet, which is a point to consider when using Yahoo news as a news source in the future

However these links listed below will show the full story. I am reading through it at the moment to find any links between the areas using the Amantadine and this new curious "pig disease" that has killed so many pig farmers in China.


China Denies Encouraging Farmers to Use Bird Flu Drug Meant For Humans
China Engaging In Bird Flu Cover Up
UN warns of serious consequences if China does not stop misuse of flu drug
China Says Flu Medicine Not for Birds
Global Teams Go To Bird-Flu Site In Western China
Deadly Bird Flu Comes to Tibet

I do have one question about Bird Flu that I would like answered

so far nothing has been said on this particular part of the issue


Can Mosquitoes be carriers of this virus?