Is Tamiflu breeding the next flu epidemic?
Tamiflu, (oseltamivir phosphate), is a popular and effective influenza drug. The major metabolite of Tamiflu is oseltamivir carboxylate (OC). The normal routine in sewage treatment plants (STP) cannot remove OC from water. The OC is returned to rivers after treatment. Birds consume the OC in the water. The reaction of flu in the birds with the OC in the water can produce a mutation of the flu that is Tamiflu resistant. People then get the resistant flu from contact with birds. Tamiflus use can breed a new and more deadly flu that could grow to epidemic proportions in the future. Researchers published these findings in the journal “Environmental Health Perspectives” (EHP) after studying the 2008 to 2009 flu season in Kyoto, Japan. OC concentrations were as high as 293.3 nanograms per liter (ng/L) in the discharge water. The concentration of OC measured in discharge from an STP that used ozonation as an additional (tertiary) treatment was 37.9 ng/L.. Previous studies have shown that the
