Question

Oseltamivir (Tamiflu), an antiviral drug prescribed for influenza, inhibits the enzyme neuraminidase. Explain how this drug could prevent infection in someone exposed to the flu or could shorten the course of flu in an infected patient (the reasons for which it is prescribed).

Short answer

Oseltamivir helps to minimize the severe effects of flu and reduce the duration of symptoms by two days because it can bind with the enzyme(neuraminidase) that has an important role in the replication of the virus. By preventing replication of the virus in the host cell, it prevents the spread of the virus inside the host body.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1: Oseltamivir

Oseltamivir is the antiviral drug that is used to treat influenza in individuals having age more than two weeks. It is used to prevent the spread of the flu virus in the host body to shorten the time duration of flu symptoms. It is classified as a neuraminidase inhibitor that blocks a particular enzyme to prevent replication of the flu virus.

Step 2: Neuraminidase

In the final stage of viral infection, neuraminidase cleaves sialic acid of the host cell surface and facilitates the release of newly produced viral particles.

It also helps in the entry of viruses into the target cells by degrading the mucus membrane in the airways. Antiviral drugs are produced by using this capability of the enzyme.

Step 3: Prevention of Flu by Oseltamivir

Oseltamivir is recommended to prevent the spread of the influenza virus because it inhibits the proteins of the flu virus by preventing their enzymatic activity.

This enzyme is necessary for the replication of the genome of flu viruses in the host cells and the release of newly produced virions out of the cell. It is an essential step in the infection cycle of the virus that can be prevented by using this antiviral drug.