Avian flu

Amantadine is an antiviral agent that is active against influenza A infection and against some strains of H5NX avian flu. Draw a three-dimensional representation of amantadine showing the chair cyclohexane rings. 

The neuramidase inhibitor oseltamivir phosphate was discovered by Gilead Sciences and developed by Roche Pharmaceuticals under the name of Tamiflu (Scheme 5.13) to be used as an orally active antiviral compound for prevention and treatment of influenza infections. Because of the recent emergence of the avian flu, the demand for Tamiflu has gained momentum. Two industrially feasible syntheses are known, starting from (—)-shikimic acid and (—)-quinic acid, respectively (Scheme 5.13) [45]. 

It is under these circumstances of SARS and avian flu threats, together with the emergence of Ebola and other viruses, that prompted the WHO and the member states to update the IHR in 2005. The realization is for member states to organize proactive measures to curb the spread of diseases. 

Influenza develops in approximately 20% of the global population each year. The 1918 influenza killed 50 million people worldwide, when an avian flu was passed on to humans. Chemistry genius Robert Burns Woodward lost his father to the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic when he was only two years old. The Asian influenza occurred in... 

Although oseltamivir (1, Tamiflu) has risen to be a superstar in the wake of the avian flu, zanamivir (2, Relenza) seems to be underappreciated by the world medical society, possibly because zanamivir (2) is a mouth spray and may cause problems for patients with breathing problems such as asthma. In reahty, zanamivir (2) has a great tolerability, similar to that of placebo, for otherwise healthy adults and higher-risk patients such as the elderly and children. Recommended doses (10 mg twice daily for 5 days) of zanamivir (2) did not adversely affect pulmonary function in patients with respiratory disorders in a well-controlled trial, although there have been reports of bronchospasm and/or decline in respiratory function. 

The option of business as usual is unattractive, given the high benefit to cost of existing and yet-to-be-developed vaccines. Failure to change public policy will lead to underinvestment in R D and vaccine production capacity and a dearth of suppliers. Potential benefits for new vaccines for HIV/AIDS and malaria are extremely high, and for a disease such as avian flu, inventing new vaccine production processes is clearly of critical importance as well. 

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2005b. Avian Influenza Infection in Humans. Available at www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/avian-flu-humans.htm. Last accessed March 2, 2005. 

The unique feature of the WDKA Health Professions seminar was the use of a current health topic, such as the avian flu, as a case study that exposed students to a potential real-world problem and familiarized them with relevant techniques used in the public health sector. Visits to... 

An innovative aspect of this course, which was nominally chemical and biological in emphasis, included medical geography and epidemiology to analyze the spread of avian flu. This activity reinforced the idea, very early in a student s career, that health-related issues are inherently complex and multidisciplinary in nature, extending beyond the STEM disciplines to the social sciences. In the spirit of John Snow, the father of... 

The course WDYK Health Professions focused on the avian flu, an important news item when this course was designed. It can easily be modified to incorporate swine flu, which is of current interest. Interestingly, instructors who use The New York Times or the National Public Radio in their courses can tie current or archived materials on any virus-related ailment in these media to the content of this course. 

HIV is considered the wildcard of avian influenza. At present only one H5N1 patient has been reported to also be infected with HIV. HlV/AlDS patients may be more susceptible to adverse complications and antiviral resistance and also can shed the H5N1 virus longer (for several months). Co-infection may have serious implications for individuals and may amplify the spread of H5N1 causing a significant increase in the numbers of people infected with the avian flu virus (Toner, 2006). 

The threat of a pandemic or epidemic outbreak of disease has been ever increasing in recent times. Pathogens such as avian flu have continued to present serious concerns to public health in the United States and around the world. The U.S. Government has developed a one-stop access portal for avian and pandemic flu information located at http //www.pandemicflu.gov/. This site is managed by the Department of Health and Human Services. 

Avian flu Avian influenza A Influenza like symptoms and pneumonia Nonspecific ... 

An example is provided by a series of neuraminidase inhibitors leading to the design of the avian flu agent tamiflu. These compounds result from a cyclohexene scaffold containing lipophilic side-chains. ... 

Nandy, A., Basak, S.C. and Cute, B.D. (2007) Graphical representation and numerical characterization of H5N1 avian flu neuraminidase gene sequence./. Chem. Inf. Model., 47, 945-951. 

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