Influenza: New options for prevention and treatment

Increasingly severe influenza epidemics in the United States and the transmission of an influenza virus previously confined to avian species underscore the real possibility of a future pandemic. In recent years, however, the development of a live influenza vaccine and the availability of neuraminidase inhibitors, a novel class of antiviral agents, have improved our ability to prevent and treat influenza. Early diagnosis is important, since treatment must be started early in the disease course to be effective.