Bird flu (avian influenza)


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Treatments and drugs

By Mayo Clinic staff

Medications
Many influenza viruses have become resistant to the effects of a category of antiviral drugs that includes amantadine and rimantadine. Health officials recommend the use of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and possibly zanamivir (Relenza) instead.

These drugs must be taken within two days after the appearance of symptoms, something that may prove logistically difficult on a worldwide scale, even if there were enough to go around. Because they're in short supply, it's not entirely clear how flu drugs would be allocated if there were a widespread epidemic.

Prevention Tests and diagnosis

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  • Influenza (flu)
References
  1. Key facts about avian influenza (bird flu) and highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/facts.htm. Accessed Sept. 21, 2011.
  2. Jones K. Influenza, avian. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..C2009-0-38600-6--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&about=true&uniqId=230100505-53. Accessed Sept. 21, 2011.
  3. Avian influenza: Fact sheet. World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/avian_influenza/en/index.html. Accessed Sept. 21, 2011.
  4. Treanor JJ. Avian influenza. In: Mandell JE, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..X0001-X--TOP&isbn=978-0-443-06839-3&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed Sept. 23, 2011.
  5. Stephenson I. Avian influenza vaccines. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2011.
  6. Stephenson I. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of avian influenza. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2011.
  7. What consumers need to know about avian influenza. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm085550.htm. Accessed Sept. 23, 2011.
  8. Stephenson I. Epidemiology, transmission and pathogenesis of avian influenza. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2011.
  9. Cumulative number of confirmed human cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) reported to WHO. http://www.who.int/influenza/human_animal_interface/H5N1_cumulative_table_archives/en/index.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2011.
  10. Key facts about influenza (flu) and flu vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm. Accessed Sept. 23, 2011.
  11. Questions and answers about avian influenza (bird flu) and avian influenza A (H5N1) virus. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/qa.htm. Accessed Sept. 23, 2011.
  12. Stephenson I. Treatment and prevention of avian influenza. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2011.
  13. H5N1 influenza virus vaccine questions and answers. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/QuestionsaboutVaccines/ucm080753.htm. Accessed Sept. 23, 2011.
DS00566 Jan. 26, 2013

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