SINGAPORE: WHO researchers say the H1N1 flu virus that swept the globe in 2009 has mutated, with the new strain appearing in Singapore and Australia.
The new virus has a genetic twist, making it resistant to drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza, the two mainstay drugs used to tackle the virus.
The World Health Organisation's influenza research group says more than 10 percent of H1N1 flu infection samples from Singapore, collected during the early months this year, showed mildly reduced sensitivity to the two drugs.
The new variation of the virus has also mixed with the old form in at least one patient.
Researchers say it proved extremely resistant to Tamiflu, and the patient, who already had a weakened immune system, died.
But lab tests showed the experimental flu drug peramivir remains an effective treatment against the virus.
The new variant has also been detected in other parts of Asia-Pacific, according to a report by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza in Melbourne.
It is feared that if this new form of flu spreads, other mutations may occur and trigger even greater drug resistance and more serious illness.
