Tamiflu-resistant strain of swine flu found in UK patients

Five people at the University Hospital of Wales' unit for severe underlying health conditions have developed a form of swine flu that does not respond to Tamiflu.

According to the National Public Health Service for Wales, three of the five infected patients came down with the illness while they were in the hospital. Two have already left the hospital after a full recovery. Two are still undergoing treatment, while the last remains in critical condition. All patients have been isolated in a designated influenza section of the hospital and infection control measures have been put into place, the UK's Telegraph reported. “In this case, the resistant strain of swine flu does not appear to be any more severe than the swine flu virus that has been circulating since April," Dr. Roland Salmon, director of the NPHS Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, told the Telegraph. “For the vast majority of people, Tamiflu has proved effective in reducing the severity of illness." Reports released on Nov. 19 showed that instances of new swine flu infections have gone down in both England and Scotland, from 64,000 to 53,000 and from 21,500 to 21,200 respectively. Flu-like illnesses diagnosed in Wales went down to 36 cases for every 100,000 persons from 65.8 the previous week. Doctors in Wales still recommend taking Tamiflu for swine flu when appropriate and practicing proper hygiene, like washing hands regularly, to help prevent the spread of the illness.