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KUALA LUMPUR: A virologist has
expressed the fear that if antivirals for
influenza A (H1N1) are readily available
over the counter, they could be abused.
Emeritus Prof Datuk Dr Lam Sai
Kit, who is with Universiti Malaya’s
Institute of Research Management and
Monitoring, said that if any medication is
overused and abused and not prescribed
by doctors, the chances of the virus de-
veloping resistance are high.
With the decision by the World Health
Organisation (WHO) to raise the global
alert for influenza A(H1N1) to Stage 5,
pharmacies are stocking up on such
medicines as Tamiflu and Relenza, and
the public want to know where they can
obtain them.
“There are people who think that by
taking Tamiflu, they can prevent the on-
set of flu but that is using the medication
wrongly,” Lam told Bernama.
He said there are also people who
quickly pop a Tamiflu into their mouths
when they have ordinary flu, and by
doing so, they might be diminishing the
potency of the drugs.
“Once we can’t use Tamiflu or Re-
lenza, what are we going to use? We will
have nothing much as armoury against
severe influenza,” he said.
Lam, a former director of WHO’s
National Influenza Centre (Malaysia),
said Tamiflu works by killing the virus
before it could go through its entire life
cycle, thus preventing it from replicating
or growing.
Furthermore, the majority of influ-
enza infections do not require treatment
with antivirals since they are mild and
confined to the upper respiratory tract
and do not go down to the lungs.
“Tamiflu should only be used if
there is evidence that the influenza a
patient has is caused by something life-
threatening, such as pneumonia or lung
infection. The more virulent types of
flu usually go down to the lungs
and require an antiviral like ZULKIFLI ERSA
Tamiflu,” he said.
Asked if Tamiflu is still safe
to be prescribed for children
after recent reports of psychi-
atric disturbances, heart and
lung disorders and deaths
among 12 children, Lam said
the benefits outweigh the com-
plications.
“The WHO is still recom-
mending its usage. The evidence
is obviously not strong enough
and the benefit far outweighs
any rare complication. In any
case, other studies have not
reported such adverse events.
Dosage should be according to
recommendations,” he said.
In 2008, the US Food and
Drug Administration changed
the drug’s label to acknowledge
reports of “delirium and abnormal
behaviour leading to injury and,
in some cases, resulting in fatal
outcomes,” among flu patients tak-
ing Tamiflu.
On its website, it states that the
reasons the adverse neuro-psychi-
atric events and deaths are reported
almost entirely in Japanese children
were still unclear but it is unusual
enough to prompt further evaluation.
Lam welcomed WHO’s move to re-
name swine flu as influenza A (H1N1) as
Holidaymakers check travel safety to Hongkong
KUALA LUMPUR: Agencies
with impending tours to Hong-
kong have been flooded with
calls from clients following
reports of the first confirmed
influenza A (H1N1) case in the
Special Administrative Region of
China, China Press reported yes-
terday.
Giacomo Travel & Tours Sdn
Bhd managing director Datuk Ho
See Sin told the daily he received a
number of phone calls on Saturday
morning from clients who wanted
to know the latest flu situation in
Hongkong.
Local Chinese dailies on Sat-
theSun | MONDAY MAY 4 2009
Pandemic
Use antivirals
may still
occur: WHO
wisely, says expert
MEXICO CITY: Mexico’s swine flu outbreak
appeared to be easing with a decrease in serious
cases, the government said, but world health
officials warned the unpredictable virus could
still become a pandemic.
“Each day there are fewer serious cases
there has yet to be irrefutable evidence
of pigs spreading the virus.
Once and the mortality has been decreasing,” Health
Minister Jose Angel Cordova told a news con-
“So far, there has been no concrete we can’t ference in Mexico City, where millions were
evidence of the involvement of pigs use Tamiflu heeding government advice to stay at home.
spreading the virus, yet undue attention or Relenza, Of the more than 100 suspected deaths from
is paid to pigs,” he said, questioning the what are the new influenza A (H1N1) virus that have
proposal to spend millions to vaccinate emerged in the Latin American nation, 19 had
pigs with the old swine flu vaccine.
we going to been confirmed, Cordova said. Mexico had
“In Malaysia, it was mentioned that use? We will ADB: Asia already scaled back from its original estimate
around RM7 million would be spent to have nothing must of 176 suspected deaths.
vaccinate pigs against swine flu. The much as retool However, new cases of the mongrel virus,
question is, why? Hopefully, the govern- armoury which mixes swine, avian and human flu
ment will review this. to boost strains, were still being tracked across the
“In any case, the old swine flu vac- against domestic world. Colombia became the latest country to
cine to be used in pigs is unlikely to severe demand report a confirmed case of the disease, which
protect against the present A (H1N1) influenza.” has now been found in 19 countries.
strain, much like the seasonal flu com- pg 13 In Geneva, the World Health Organisation said
posite vaccine for use in humans. Scarce influenza A (H1N1) had not spread in a sustained
resources should be used to prevent the way outside North America, as required before
spread of human infections since it is a he said. the pandemic alert is raised to its highest level.
fact that it is human-to-human transmis- “The pig farming industry has al- But it said that would probably happen soon.
sion which is all important now.” ready been hit because of the labelling “I would still propose that a pandemic is
Furthermore, Lam said the WHO did of the virus as swine flu and, hopefully, imminent because we are seeing the disease
not recommend any steps to prevent the this renaming of the virus will switch the spread,” Michael Ryan, WHO director of Global
movement of pigs, unlike during the attention back to human transmission Alert and Response, told a briefing.
Nipah virus outbreak. and prevention.” Few are ready to take chances with the new
“There is scant evidence of pig in- Lam headed the research team that virus, widely dubbed swine flu.
volvement in the present pandemic so studied the Nipah virus when it was first In Hongkong, police quarantined a hotel for
we should leave the pigs alone for now,” discovered. – Bernama one week after a Mexican guest was found to
have the virus and Mexicans were also being
confined in Beijing, Shanghai and elsewhere.
Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa
criticised China, saying Mexican citizens who
L/THESUN
showed no signs of illness at all were being
“isolated, under unacceptable conditions”.
Authorities in Mexico, the hardest-hit nation,
said earlier they believed the situation is stabilis-
ing as fewer patients with severe flu symptoms
were checking into hospitals.
The WHO said its laboratories had identified
a total of 787 infections in 17 countries, includ-
ing one case in Ireland,
The United States, the second hardest-hit
nation, has confirmed 226 cases in 30 states.
Public hospitals in Mexico have noted a steady
drop in patients turning up with fevers, suggest-
ing the infection rate may be declining as people
use hand gel and avoid crowds. – Agencies
No new permits
to import pork
CHANGLOON: The Agriculture and Agro-
based Industry Ministry will no longer issue
new permits to import pork following the
influenza A (H1N1) epidemic, its deputy
minister Datuk Wira Mohd Johari Baha-
rom said yesterday.
Caution ... This would be effective immediately as
a precautionary measure although find-
Health MInister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai visits the bio- ings had shown that the animal was not the
hazard containment laboratory at the Institute for Medical cause of the disease.
Research in Kuala Lumpur where tests on blood samples are “Clinical research on samples of mucus,
carried out to see whether they are infected with the influenza A (H1N1). saliva and faeces of the animal taken from 14
He is accompanied by IMR director-general Dr Shahnaz Murad. farms in Selangor and five in Malacca have
tested negative,” he told reporters after launch-
ing a Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR)
seminar here.
Mohd Johari said the Veterinary Services
Department would monitor other animals that
might be responsible for the A (H1N1) virus.
urday highlighted the Hongkong pending will not be cancelled as the avoid dampening the confidence He said the permits issued to companies im-
government’s move to place 300 agencies have already finalised the of tourists. porting pork from China, Europe, Australia and
people in a hotel under quarantine trips, paid deposits for hotel rooms Malaysian Chinese Tourism As- Vietnam will also be revoked if the epidemic
for seven days, after a guest from and food. If the trips are cancelled, sociation president Chay Ng said worsened.
Mexico became the first confirmed tour organisers will incur heavy the association is taking a serious Research was also conducted on imported
A (H1N1) case in the city. losses,” he said. view of the flu reports in Hongkong pork to ensure that they were not contaminated
Ho said some clients have asked But tours scheduled for but urged Hongkong-bound tourists with the A (H1N1) virus.
for a postponement of their trips for departures months later can be not to be unduly worried. He said applications for import permits
fear of contracting the deadly flu in postponed or cancelled, he said. He said there is only one would be relaxed once the situation improved,
Hongkong. His company has cancelled a Sep- confirmed case in Hongkong and but only to cater to the country’s needs.
However, he said others ex- tember tour to Mexico because of believed its government has taken “The Veterinary Department has monitored
pressed confidence in the strict the outbreak of the A (H1N1) flu. stringent measures to prevent the developments on the epidemic daily since
preventative measures being taken Ho said the outbreak has spread of the flu. it surfaced, while pig farms are monitored
by the Hongkong government, and caused a 30% drop in business for “We have yet to receive any re- throughout the year and not just when epidem-
wanted the tours to stick to the the company and appealed to the port of our clients asking for cancel- ics threaten our lives,” he said.
scheduled departure dates. government to be cautious with the lation of their trips to Hongkong,” He said the said authorities visited 202 farms
“In general, tours which are im- wording of their press releases to said Chay. nationwide and had not found any report of the
A (H1N1) virus.