There is no vaccine currently available to fight the deadly flu; many physicians however believe certain antiviral medications – such as Tamiflu -can help prevent or reduce the severity of the disease and avert a global pandemic.
Many countries have invested considerable amounts of money in purchasing Tamiflu.
The Iranian Minister of Health and Medical Education, Kamran Bagheri Lankarani, however told Mehr News Agency that the country has a considerable stockpile of the drug.
He added that Iranian scientists have developed the formulation of the drug; therefore, there is only need for the import of the finalized version of the drug which will reduce the cost of the medication.
Lankarani went on to say that the country would soon be capable of providing in-need countries with their required Tamiflu.
More than 1,516 lab-confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported in 22 countries across the globe. Mexico, the home country of the deadly virus, has reported 942 cases, including 29 deaths, while US officials have confirmed 403 cases in 38 states along with two deaths.
WHO officials have also confirmed cases infected with the new influenza strain in countries including Canada (165), Spain (57), UK (27), Austria, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, El Salvador, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, South Korea, and Switzerland.
Guatemala was the twenty-second country to confirm its first case of swine flu on Wednesday.
“We continue to see an increase in cases reported by countries,” said WHO assistant director-general of health, security and environment, Keiji Fukuda, adding the symptoms of the disease remain severe ‘in at least a couple of countries’.
PKH/HGH
Filed under: Iran: Scientific Progress
