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Antiviral Drugs

The term antiviral drugs are used for those drugs which kill or prevent the growth of viruses. Viral infections are much harder to treat as compared to bacterial infections because viruses live inside our cells, making it harder for the immune system to locate and attack them.

Four antiviral drugs (amantadine, rimantadine, zanamavir and oseltamivir) have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of influenza. Amantadine, rimantadine, and oseltamivir are approved by the FDA and are commercially available for use in the United States to prevent influenza.

All of these medications are prescription drugs therefore the consultation of a doctor is a must before procuring or using these drugs. When used for prevention, they are about 70% to 90% effective in preventing illness in healthy adults.

All of the antiviral drugs have proved to be effective for influenza A viruses. However, only oseltamivir and zanamivir are effective for influenza B viruses. All of the available antiviral drugs are different in terms of their making, dosage and side effects. Proper usage of antiviral drugs can be useful in controlling influenza to a great extent.