WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- U.S. health officials say this season's flu virus has mutated, and is resistant to two standard drugs used in the past -- amantadine and rimantadine.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that doctors prescribe two newer antiviral drugs, oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza), and said ample supplies were available.
The centers' director, Dr. Julie Gerberding, said the findings were made Friday and needed to be publicized quickly to alert doctors to switch medications for those patients on amantadine and rimantadine and not to start treating others with them.
She said drugs are far less important in preventing influenza than keeping one's hands clean, covering one's nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing, and staying home from school or work during respiratory illness.
