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Exploring the Role of Antiviral Drugs in the Eradication of Polio Workshop Report (2006) / Chapter Skim
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2 Public Health Considerations
Pages 13-18

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From page 13...
... The utility of antiviral drugs for the treatment of chronic shedders, the potential sources of iVDPV, is addressed separately. Production of a drug that prevents infection or reduces viral shedding among those who are infected would be the major goal of an antiviral drug development program in support of global polio eradication.
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From page 14...
... Therefore, when OPV is used for outbreak control, the role of an antiviral drug might be quite limited. If sufficiently safe and inexpensive, such a drug might be used by public health authorities to control spread of live polioviruses -- both the virulent outbreak virus and OPV viruses -- in unaffected areas that surround the outbreak zone.
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From page 15...
... Therefore an antiviral program will require not only design, manufacture, and testing of an antiviral, but also detailed plans that include criteria for employment of the drug, a distribution strategy, and innovative ways of enhancing compliance. It is not possible to ignore the ease with which RNA viruses such as poliovirus develop resistance.
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From page 16...
... If the number of chronic shedders turns out to be higher than now expected, especially in poor countries, they could become a source of live virus in countries that cease vaccination and a treatment that could reduce or eliminate shedding would provide a significant public health benefit. It is recognized that the difficulty of identifying all chronic virus shedders, particularly in developing countries, may impede this application of an antiviral drug.
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From page 17...
... PUBLIC HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS 17 have additional tools to control outbreaks of poliomyelitis in an increasingly susceptible world. The availability of an antiviral drug that either prevents infection altogether or decreases shedding of the virus to levels that prevent transmission would give the public health community muchneeded flexibility in reacting to post-vaccination outbreaks.
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Key Terms

  • antiviral drugs
  • chronic shedders
  • rna viruses
  • selective pressure
  • live poliovirus

  • persistently infected
  • exerting selective
  • developing drugs
  • health benefits
  • health benefit

  • therapeutic drug
  • clinical benefit
  • acutely infected
  • virus shedders
  • treat immunodeficient

  • chronically infected
  • drug strategy
  • infected persons
  • drug available
  • clinical trial

  • drug development
  • chronic virus
  • demonstrate clinical
  • drugs developed
  • prevents infection

  • live virus
  • prophylactic drug
  • drug work
  • cure chronic
  • reduce virus


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