Harvard Medical video: Flu virus is resistant to antiviral drug
March 05, 2009 04:01 PM EST
(Updated: March 05, 2009 04:02 PM EST)
This year's flu virus is resistant to the antiviral drug Tamiflu, but there's a possible breakthrough in flu vaccine research.
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More by Anthony Komaroff, M.D., Harvard Medical School
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Comments: 10
The new approach focuses on a tiny part of the protein coating that does not change from year to year, and that is the same with any human flu virus (type A) and the bird flu virus.
In other words, much of the protein coat is constantly changing, but they've found one part that doesn't change. And they've found that, if the immune system attacks the part that doesn't change, it seems to stop the virus from reproducing itself. It's early work, but it's encouraging.
Yes, the strains of flu virus circulating right now. Flu hit a little later than usual this year.