Tamiflu – Can Influenza Virus Be Cured With Tamiflu Prescriptions?
Tamiflu – Can Influenza Virus Be Cured With Tamiflu Prescriptions?
It’s important to understand the types of influenza viruses that are circulating and the effect if any that Tamiflu has on these various strains. How tamiflu is dispensed to treat these infections goes a long way in determining the value of the drug as a curative or prophylaxis therapy for the illness.
The Different Strains Of Influenza
Presently three types of infectious influenza are active. They are referred to as Types A, B, and C Influenza. Type A influenza is the most talked about flu virus these days and is probably thought of as the most volatile as it is dangerous as a potential ignition infection for a great epidemic and it has proven this in the past. Medical experts sit up and take notice when influenza A has become virulent. These A strains infect birds and animals and can be aggressive against human populations as well. On the Basis of surface proteins the flu is separated in to differing sub groups. Two types of surface proteins and known as hem agglutinin and Neuramidase which are designated by the H and N letters correspondingly. The Strain varieties are referred to numerically. This means that H1N1 is a hem agglutinin with 1 as a variety and Neuramidase also with a variety 1 type. Hem agglutinin has sixteen varieties and the Neuramidase has nine varieties.
There are as many versions as combinations in the sixteen to nine ratio. That many strains of viruses of the type A influenza potentially could exist. These are not all dangerous versions of the illness and many are limited to infecting certain animal classes. There are only several of these which could potentially extend to humans. These varieties are the H1N1, H1N2 and H1N3. The H5N1 strain is the most volatile and dangerous of all and infects avian populations, animals and humans alike. It is commonly referred to as the avian strain. Found hosting in water borne birds, ducks are the reservoir for the majority of concern when hosts for this strain are considered. Transmission of the disease from these birds is through their saliva, nasal secretions and feces. Avian influenza exists in two types, one highly infectious and the other not so pathogenic a form.
Influenza B and C are less virulent and symptoms in humans are relatively mild.
These viruses which cause the influenza are beginning to show small signs of change referred to also as drift. The “drift” is what may cause a mutation within the flu virus creating a new combination of the genetic substance and this can make it quite resistant to any medications and the transmission of the mutated virus will become easier from human to human.
How Tamiflu acts
Generic Tamiflu is the medication of choice with primary health care providers when faced with prescribing for influenza. Tamiflu is an inhibitor drug so it will respond in a unique manner than from other medicines. Tamiflu combats the virus infection at its root level inhibiting its growth in the primary phase of expansion. It then begins to travel throughout the body hunting and killing the virus when it presents itself utilizing the antibodies within the patient to aid the process of healing. When starting a course of generic tamiflu it should be initiated in the first forty eight hours of initial onset of the symptoms. Ingested in this way it is really quite effective.
A full course of medication is recommended to last for ten days and should be completed in its entirety. Patients claim to begin feeling better within two days of starting generic tamiflu and the minimum treatment course should be five days or ten capsules in the course. Tamiflu can also be ingested as a chemoprophylaxis if one has been exposed to influenza infection but aren’t presenting symptoms or if influenza like symptoms are indicated but there is no time to await test results. There are now different recommendations for taking generic tamiflu for these different presentations of combating the flu so instructions from a health care professional should be sought. The CDC and WHO are updating protocols for generic tamiflu regularly to continue the best utilization of the medication and reduce the risk of resistance build up.
Generic tamiflu [Oseltamivir] and relenza [zanamivir] are the only current antivirals deemed effective in battling novel influenza H1N1 infection as a direct “curative” or as close as it can come to curing the virulent influenza illnesses.