Commentary
High
Levels of H1N1 Tamiflu Resistance in Korea Continue
Recombinomics Commentary
21:57
January 21, 2009
1,772 viruses were identified as A/H1N1 type and 82 viruses were identified as A/H3N2 type.
The above comments from the week 2 report from Korean CDC reflect high levels of H1N1 oseltamivir resistance and an associated high ILI rate, 11.96%. Although this level was lower than the 17.63% in the prior week, it was still above the high for last season, which was below 10%, and extends the double digit rate to three straight weeks. Moreover, the number of new H1N1 isolates, 497, was similar to the 508 isolates a week earlier and signaled a continuing explosion of oseltamivir resistance in South Korea.
The Japan NIH recently released a phylogenetc tree that included 33 recent isolates from Japan, which were similar to the isolates in the United States this season, all of which had A193T in the receptor binding domain, suggesting this acquisition was the key driver in the emergence of H1N1 with H274Y. Japan has reported a number of school closings which have been linked to H1N1.
More information on impact of this explosion of cases in South Korea would be useful.
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