Kind of prescription medicines which have activity against influenza viruses including avian or swine influenza are called 
antiviral drugs. How do these antiviral drugs work for influenza virus? The article below will provide you with informations regarding that question.
According to the article, Influenza viruses always have an H component and an N component as in H1N1 or H5N1. Neuraminidase or N substance is the container of flu’s genetic material codes which is crucial to the the ability of the influenza virus in replicating itself. For example, if an influenza virus infect a lung cell, then the cell can be a factory to make more virus particle.
Antiviral Drugs such Tamiflu and Relenza are known as “neuraminidase inhibitors”, these medicine simply block the release of new viruses from “the factory” and keep the virus from spreading, hence reduce the severity and duration of illness, according to the article. The pathophisiology of influenza virus in infecting cells (Infection and Replication, Budding of New Viral Particles, Binding of Hemagglutinin to Sialic Acid-containing Receptors, Releasing of New Viruses, and Prevention of Viral Release by Neuraminidase Inhibitors) is also described to explain how will the antiviral drugs work.
Please complete your read about How Do Antiviral Drugs for Influenza Virus Work here in this Antiviral Drug Article, at page 20 of 26 pdf filetype (source: acsh.org).
[...] general population. Therefore, HIV patients need to be considered as a high risk and a priority for antiviral treatment with oseltamivir or zanamivir which shortens illness duration and severity in seasonal [...]
September 4, 2009 @ 10:30 am