Tamiflu medicine will lose impact rapidly

Link: A Study into Tamiflu Abuse.

Tamiflu is not a cure, but as an antiviral drug, it helps lessen the symptoms of the virus and shorten the duration of illness. It is also the main weapon we have against avian flu. While it cannot prevent people from contracting bird flu, Tamiflu does drastically reduce the risk of death if contracted and is most effective if given ahead of time, like a vaccine. In his study, Jerker Fick tested the ability of the antiviral molecules to survive in the sewers. This study, which took place at the Umea University in Sweden, had disturbing results. The scientist checked three different sewage treatment options to see if Tamiflu would break down or be destroyed by any or all of them. The three samples included raw sewage without any treatment at all, sewage that had been chemically treated and filtered, and “activated sludge”, sewer water which contained microbes intended to break down the waste. The Tamiflu molecules survived all three treatment processes. The fear sparked by this scientific examination of sewage is that the antiviral drug will be poured into rivers, lakes and even the ocean. From there, it can easily be ingested by water birds, particularly ducks who tend to forage near sewage outlets. If these birds ingest sufficient quantities of the treatment, it is quite likely that the avian flu will be able to adapt and become resistant to this form of antiviral medicine, leaving humans wide open to a pandemic.