MAY 12, 2009, 2:12 P.M. ET
By Jennifer Corbett Dooren
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that pregnant women with flu-like symptoms should be treated with antiviral drugs Tamiflu or Relenza to guard against serious complications of H1N1 influenza.
The recommendation was highlighted in the agency's daily H1N1 update as the number of confirmed H1N1 influenza cases in the U.S. topped 3,000. The CDC said there have been 3,009 H1N1 cases in 44 states and Washington, D.C., with another 600 "probable" cases.
Anne Schuchat, CDC's interim deputy director for science and public health program, said the agency has seen "some serious complications" with the H1N1 influenza virus in pregnant women and is recommending that pregnant women who are suspected of having any type of flu be given an antiviral drug. One of the three deaths in the U.S. from the new H1N1 influenza virus to date was in a pregnant women.
Drugs like Tamiflu, by Roche (RHBBY) and GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) Relenza have been shown to reduce the spread of the flu virus in the body and are most effective if given within 12 to 48 hours of symptom onset.
Flu symptoms include fever with a cough or sore throat and often body aches. The CDC has said antiviral treatment should be reserved for patients with more severe illnesses as well as those in high risk groups for complications such as young children and people with certain underlying health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
However, Schuchat said pregnant women could be more vulnerable to the H1N1 virus because the virus has been seen more often in younger people. In a separate statement issued Monday by the World Health Organization, the agency said the H1N1 virus appears to be more contagious and is affecting young people more often than typically seen with seasonal influenza.
The CDC is also recommending that doctors consider antiviral treatment for young children and babies though antiviral drugs are not approved for use in children younger than one.
Being pregnant increases the risk of complications such as pneumonia and dehydration from influenza whether its seasonal flu or the H1N1 flu.
By Jennifer Corbett Dooren
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that pregnant women with flu-like symptoms should be treated with antiviral drugs Tamiflu or Relenza to guard against serious complications of H1N1 influenza.
The recommendation was highlighted in the agency's daily H1N1 update as the number of confirmed H1N1 influenza cases in the U.S. topped 3,000. The CDC said there have been 3,009 H1N1 cases in 44 states and Washington, D.C., with another 600 "probable" cases.
Anne Schuchat, CDC's interim deputy director for science and public health program, said the agency has seen "some serious complications" with the H1N1 influenza virus in pregnant women and is recommending that pregnant women who are suspected of having any type of flu be given an antiviral drug. One of the three deaths in the U.S. from the new H1N1 influenza virus to date was in a pregnant women.
Drugs like Tamiflu, by Roche (RHBBY) and GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) Relenza have been shown to reduce the spread of the flu virus in the body and are most effective if given within 12 to 48 hours of symptom onset.
Flu symptoms include fever with a cough or sore throat and often body aches. The CDC has said antiviral treatment should be reserved for patients with more severe illnesses as well as those in high risk groups for complications such as young children and people with certain underlying health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
However, Schuchat said pregnant women could be more vulnerable to the H1N1 virus because the virus has been seen more often in younger people. In a separate statement issued Monday by the World Health Organization, the agency said the H1N1 virus appears to be more contagious and is affecting young people more often than typically seen with seasonal influenza.
The CDC is also recommending that doctors consider antiviral treatment for young children and babies though antiviral drugs are not approved for use in children younger than one.
Being pregnant increases the risk of complications such as pneumonia and dehydration from influenza whether its seasonal flu or the H1N1 flu.
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