We previously wrote about the H7N9 virus that had been
detected in China , which was important but not alarming. Back then the
research suggested that early detection was key to successfully treat the illness
with oseltamivir. This has now been confirmed by a study, which was recently
published in the Lancet.
In the study, the researchers
analysed results from all patients that had presented to their hospital with flu-like
symptoms. Of those, 14 were confirmed to have bird-flu with two being immune to
treatment. In order to obtain a full picture of the infected participants’
symptoms, the researchers analysed a wide range of data including haematological
results, radiological data, and biochemical and microbiological investigations.
The key findings indicated that all of the participants had gotten their
infection via cross-species infection, and that treatment within two days of
onset was associated with better outcomes than treatment started late. Based on
this, the researchers maintained the importance of treating suspected or
confirmed cases as soon as possible. In addition to that, the team urged more
research to be carried out to look into the pathogenesis of H7N9.
The current study is a step
forward in the research of this topic. However, the fact that two participants
were immune to the treatment also highlights an important gap in current
knowledge that warrants further research. Given that there are many on-going
studies that are yet to be published, we have no doubt that there soon will be
more information to provide a fuller picture of the H7N9 virus.