Evaluation of amantadine in the prophylaxis of influenza A (H1N1) virus infection: a controlled field trial among young adults and high-risk patients.
The usefulness of amantadine in the protection of humans against influenza A (H1N1) virus was evaluated in a double-blind field trial with 555 volunteers in Finland in the winter of 1978. Three populations--patients in a general hospital, adults in a home for the aged, and two groups of military conscripts--were chosen. Epidemic influenza occurred only in the two groups of conscripts: the incidence of serologically verified influenza was 66% and 83% in the groups that received placebo and 43% and 51% in the groups that received amantadine, giving protection rates of 36% (P = 0.05) and 39% (P = 0.001). The evaluation of the effect of amantadine on the occurrence of illness was obscured by concomitant adenoviral infections that caused influenza-like symptoms. No clear difference in the occurrences of side effects was observed between the placebo and amantadine-treated groups; however, a significantly greater number of participants who took 200 mg of amantadine/day (16.9%) stopped medication during the trial as compared with the placebo groups (7.6%) (P < 0.02).
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D000547:Amantadine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000276:immunology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D012306:Risk
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D010919:Placebos; D000547:Amantadine