News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – A large, eight-nation study today reported worrisome levels of tuberculosis (TB) resistant to first- and second-line drugs, along with higher-than-expected levels of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB.

(CIDRAP News) – Tuberculosis (TB) experts who met in Geneva this week said the global TB community needs to step up the fight against drug resistance and increase appropriate care and treatment "to avoid a scenario where TB becomes incurable," the World Health Organization (WHO) said today.

August 17, 2009

(CIDRAP News) – Increased resistance to oseltamivir (Tamiflu), the leading influenza drug, has prompted federal health officials to change their advice about flu treatment, saying clinicians for now should consider using zanamivir (Relenza) or a combination of two drugs for patients suspected of having influenza A.

– WASHINGTON, DC (CIDRAP News) – Health officials worldwide are becoming increasingly concerned about influenza viruses' resistance to antiviral drugs, which can shut down a flu infection or mitigate symptoms. Flu antivirals are vital for reducing severe illness and death in average flu seasons and could be essential bulwarks against an influenza pandemic if one began.

(CIDRAP News) – With influenza season well under way in the southern hemisphere, one of the three kinds of seasonal influenza virus is becoming increasingly resistant to the antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu), the World Health Organization (WHO) reported last week.