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Case 2: Acyclovir-Resistant Herpes Simplex Virus Infection

You answered:

C Foscarnet (Foscavir) 40 mg/kg IV q8h.

This answer is correct. Foscarnet (Foscavir) is a pyrophosphate analog that directly inhibits viral DNA polymerase by reversibly blocking the pyrophosphate binding site of the viral polymerase (in addition to inhibiting the cleavage of pyrophosphate from deoxynucleotide triphosphates). Foscarnet does not require activation by viral thymidine kinase and thus retains activity against herpes simplex virus strains with absent or altered production of viral thymidine kinase.


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