Antivirals for the chemoprophylaxis and treatment of influenza.

Influenza virus infections are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Several antiviral agents, amantadine, rimantadine, and ribavirin, have been shown to be either therapeutically or prophylactically effective in influenza virus infections. Amantadine and rimantadine are effective, via the oral route, in treating and preventing influenza A infections. Aerosolized preparations of amantadine and rimantadine have also shown therapeutic efficacy against influenza A. Oral ribavirin has slight therapeutic efficacy in influenza A, but has also shown promising results in therapy of influenza B infections. Aerosolized ribavirin has also shown promise in treatment of patients who are severely ill with influenza A and B.