US proposes banning human flu drugs in poultry

WASHINGTON, Mar 20 (Reuters) U S regulators today proposed banning the use of two types of human flu-fighting drugs in poultry in order to preserve their effectiveness for people in case of a bird flu pandemic.

The proposal would prohibit use of neuraminidase inhibitors, Roche's Tamiflu and GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Relenza, and the older drugs rimantadine and amantadine in chickens, turkeys and ducks, the Food and Drug Administration said.

The drugs are not approved to treat or prevent influenza in animals, but veterinarians can still legally prescribe them.

Officials worry that repeated use of the drugs could allow a deadly flu strain to mutate and resist the treatments when they are needed for people.

Concern is growing as the H5N1 flu strain spreads among birds in Europe, Africa and Asia. Experts say it could change to a form that moves easily between people, causing a worldwide flu pandemic.

REUTERS SY KN2312