A few weeks ago, it was reported that the overuse of the antiviral amantadine to combat bird flu in China has likely rendered amantadine useless for humans, leaving us with one less defense against a possible virulent avian flu. All remaining current options are more expensive. It also appears that Vietnam and Thailand may have abused amantadine as well.
On a worrisome note, it's been observed that a a mutation underlying genetic resistance to a chemical may also confer an advantage against hosts rather than being a disadvantage. A current understanding of genetics among decision-makers is increasingly vital to preventing blowback.
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