title: A comparison of the effectiveness of zanamivir and oseltamivir for the treatment of influenza A and B.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effectiveness of zanamivir with oseltamivir for influenza A and B.
  
  
  METHODS
  1113 patients with influenza A or B were enrolled in the 2006-2007 influenza season. The duration of fever (temperature, >or=37.5 degrees C) and the percentage of patients afebrile at 24 and 48 h after the first dose of zanamivir or oseltamivir were calculated. Virus persistence after zanamivir therapy was also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were marginally significant differences between the duration of fever after the first dose of zanamivir (31.8+/-18.4h) and oseltamivir (35.5+/-23.9h) for influenza A (p<0.05). The duration of fever after starting zanamivir therapy (35.8+/-22.4h) was significantly shorter than that of oseltamivir (52.7+/-31.3h) for influenza B (p<0.001). There were no significant differences between influenza A and B in the percentage of patients afebrile at 24 or 48 h after the first inhalation of zanamivir. The reisolation rate after zanamivir therapy showed marginally significant differences between influenza A and B (<0.05). By multiple regression analysis, therapy (zanamivir or oseltamivir) was the major determinant affecting the duration of fever for influenza B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Zanamivir therapy is more effective than oseltamivir for the treatment of influenza B infection.
authors.affiliation: Japan Physicians Association, Tokyo Medical Association Building 3F, 2-5 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, 101-0062 Tokyo, Japan. nkawai@city.gifu.med.or.jp
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikematsu
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iwaki
authors.forename: Tetsunari
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kanazawa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.forename: Osame
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Satsuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horii
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hirotsu
authors.forename: Seizaburo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kashiwagi
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus; D009981:Influenza B virus; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D053139:Oseltamivir / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D053243:Zanamivir / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D053139:Oseltamivir; D053243:Zanamivir