A pregnant patient with influenza should be treated with which antiviral agent?

• A. Azithromycin
• B. Baloxavir
• C. Oseltamivir
• D. Penicillin

Answer: (C)

Treating influenza in pregnancy calls for an antiviral with proven safety and effectiveness for both the mother and fetus. Oseltamivir fits this best because it has extensive safety data in pregnant patients and is recommended as the first-line treatment. It’s a neuraminidase inhibitor that reduces viral replication, shortens symptom duration, and lowers the risk of hospitalization and complications when started early, ideally within 48 hours of symptom onset. This makes it the trusted choice in pregnancy, where protecting both mother and fetus from severe influenza is especially important.

Baloxavir, while effective and convenient as a single-dose oral antiviral, has comparatively limited safety data in pregnancy, so it is not the preferred first-line option despite its efficacy. The other two options are antibiotics and do not treat viral influenza; they would only be considered if a bacterial superinfection were suspected or confirmed, not for the viral infection itself.