New flu virus mutation alarms doctors
Influenza viruses constantly change, which is not unusual in itself. However, a new variant is causing concerns for health authorities worldwide. This variant exhibits two modifications exactly at the sites where common flu medication sets in. How dangerous is this new double mutant?
A "double mutated" flu virus has been detected in more and more countries. The rare influenza variant has been identified in at least two individuals in the USA, according to the US health authority CDC. What concerns medical professionals: The mutations are located at the very spots where the medication for treatment sets in. Common flu medications, such as the widely used Tamiflu, may reportedly be less effective as a result.
A research team in Hong Kong identified these changes on the important surface proteins of the new H1N1 flu virus as early as March. They found that the mutations increase the resistance to the flu medication Oseltamivir, known under the brand name Tamiflu. The exact degree to which the virus reduces the effectiveness of the medication cannot be definitively stated. Labor tests showed that the mutated viruses reacted up to 16 times less sensitively to the medication.
Meanwhile, this influenza variant has been identified in 15 countries on five continents. Europe, according to the study, is particularly affected. The pathogen has been detected in France, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. "However, these data may not necessarily reflect the actual proportion of circulating variants, as individual countries follow different monitoring and sequencing strategies," explains the research team.
Concerns ahead of flu season
Despite the "rapid spread of the double mutant in countries on various continents," the new flu variant, according to the CDC, is currently rather rare. Since its first appearance in the Canadian province of British Columbia in May 2023, it makes up only one percent of the influenza samples sent to the global virological data bank GISAID. "It's not that the mutation has appeared somewhere and then suddenly this specific virus has spread in a large wave and pushed everything else out," said Andy Pekosz, a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, to CNN. Instead, these same mutations seem to be developing independently at various locations.
The good news: Laboratory tests, according to the CDC, suggest that other antiviral treatments, such as the active ingredient Baloxavir marboxil or Xofluza, are also effective against the double mutation. Flu vaccines also appear to provide sufficient protection against the mutated influenza viruses.
However, the CDC urges doctors and nurses to remain vigilant - especially with regard to the fall. "It is not known how far these mutated viruses will circulate in the upcoming season," say the experts. Therefore, it is particularly important to closely monitor the spread and development of the double mutant.
This double mutant influenza virus, initially detected in Canada, has spread across multiple continents and been identified in numerous countries, with Europe appearing particularly affected. Notably, it has been found in the USA, according to the CDC. Health concerns arise because the mutations are at sites where common flu medication, like Tamiflu, sets in, potentially making it less effective. However, it's crucial to note that laboratory tests indicate other antiviral treatments and flu vaccines may still provide protection against the double mutant. As the fall approaches, the CDC calls for increased vigilance among healthcare professionals due to the unknown circulation of these mutated viruses during the upcoming season.
