Health officials in Maryland have identified two people with a mutant strain of the swine flu -- a strain resistant to the medication Tamiflu.
Doctors at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore said the two were confirmed to have the variant straint of H1N1 but both have been treated and released. An alert has been sent to Maryland's hospitals, physicians and other health care providers to keep an eye out for other cases like the two already found.
Fortunately, the resistant strain is not expected to become widespread and can be treated by alternative medications. But officials will track new cases.
"These two resistant cases are of concern because although infections can be prevented with vaccine," said John M. Colmers, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. "We also want to retain all of our options for treating those with serious influenza complications."
In other words, the mutant H1N1 Swine Flu virus can be treated. But doctors want to keep as many treatment options open as possible.
