WHO says bird flu is mutating

[Guest guest]

9/28/2006

Associated Press

GENEVA - The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu which has killed at

least 148 people is showing signs of being able to mutate and

develop resistance to the most effective anti-viral drugs and any

possible vaccines yet to be produced, a WHO scientist said Thursday.

The H5N1 virus is splitting into genetically different groups, said

Mike Perdue, a team leader with WHO's influenza program who took

part in a two-day bird flu conference earlier this week sponsored by

the U.N. health body.

No vaccine for the H5N1 virus has been produced yet, but scientists

are confident they will develop one in future.

However, the virus has now been shown to mutate like seasonal flu

viruses that require new vaccines every year. " We are going to have

to come to the realization that these viruses are genetically

variable, " Perdue said. " The vaccines that we have predicted to be

protective today may not be protective a year from now. "

The two most effective anti-viral drugs currently in use are also in

danger of losing their potency, according to influenza experts.

" We know from surveillance studies and from hospital clinical

studies that resistance to the two primary anti-viral drugs, the

Tamiflu and Amantadine drugs, have already occurred, " Perdue said.

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