THE antiviral baloxavir (Xofluza) appears to be effective at treating bird flu, according to international researchers who tested the drug on infected mice.
The team compared the effectiveness of baloxavir with oseltamivir (Tamiflu), the current standard treatment for influenza, in mice who were infected with the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain through infected milk, to mimic usual infections.
Mice were treated with either oseltamivir twice a day for five days or a single dose of baloxavir.
They found baloxavir improved disease outcomes with survival rates of mice infected through the mouth, nose and eyes reaching up to 25%, 75% and 100%, respectively, whereas mice treated with oseltamivir experienced lower survival rates, with mouth, nose and eye infection reaching up to 25%, 40% and 63%, respectively.
The finding that orally infected mice were more difficult to treat with either drug suggests that this is likely due to the virus's ability to spread faster through the gastrointestinal tract.
The H5N1 virus has been detected in at least 68 humans across the United States, including one death, with most of the individuals having been in contact with infected animals.
Apart from birds, H5N1 has also been detected in dairy cows, which increases the risk of human infection through contaminated raw milk, such as through droplet inhalation, droplets splashing into the eyes or consumption.
Person-to person transmission is extremely rare, but may occur when a person does not wear personal protective equipment (PPE) and spends prolonged periods with an infected person.
In Australia, one human case of H5N1 has been recorded in a person who had acquired the infection overseas and made a full recovery, but there have been no animal cases.
Current treatment options for H5N1 are limited to existing influenza drugs, such as oseltamivir, but the researchers noted the effectiveness of these treatments in humans is unclear, owing to the severity of the disease, which has prevented human studies.
Baloxavir is indicated for the treatment of uncomplicated influenza in patients aged 12 years of age and older, who have been symptomatic for no more than 48 hours and who are otherwise healthy, or at high risk of developing influenza complications.
While further research is required, the team suggests that baloxavir could be considered, along with the current standard oseltamivir, for potential treatment of severe H5N1 infections in humans.
Read the full paper HERE. KB
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