FACT CHECK: No, paracetamol pills do not contain Machupo virus

A message making the rounds on WhatsApp has advised people against the use of paracetamol with P/500 written on it.

The message warns that the drug contains the Machupo virus and anyone who takes it would be infected.

“Be careful not to take the paracetamol that comes written P-500. It is a new, very white and shiny paracetamol, doctors advice that it contains “Machupo” virus, considered one of the most dangerous viruses in the world, with a high mortality rate,” the message reads.

Apart from WhatsApp, the message also appeared on Facebook.

“Please share this message with all people in your contact list as well as family, and save a life or lives… I’ve done my part; now it’s your turn … remember that God helps those who help other & themselves! Forward as received,” the post concluded.

The post did not state if a medical expert or pharmaceutical institution was consulted before the conclusion was reached.

Paracetamol is a pain reliever usually prescribed to treat mild to moderate pain and reduce fever. The usual dose administered to adults is usually 500 milligrams or 1 gram.

Machupo is a zoonotic disease also known as black typhus or Bolivian hemorrhagic fever. It was first discovered in 1959 in Bolivia, and cases have only been recorded in the South American country.

According to Standford University, the virus “spreads through aerosolized, food-borne, or direct contact with virus particles”.

Are paracetamol pills laced with Machupo virus?

VERIFICATION

Checks by TheCable show that the message has been in circulation since 2017 and several platforms have debunked the news.

In 2017, the Malaysian ministry of health said the report is fake and should be disregarded.

The ministry added that it had not received any reports regarding paracetamol containing the Machupo virus from any manufacturer.

On May 7, the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority, through a statement said the circulating message on social media is “inaccurate and not a cause for concern”. The regulatory agency added that no cases of the Machupo virus could be linked to paracetamol.

Nonso Odili, pharmacist and CEO of DrugIT, told TheCable that the message is nothing but fake news which has been debunked several times.

“This is old. There was a time a few years ago when it was circulating. At the time, it was debunked as fake news. At the time, WHO and NAFDAC did not say anything about it, probably because it was not worthy of attention,” he said.

“It’s always safe to only use NAFDAC-registered products.”

Also commenting on the matter, Olusayo Akintola, spokesperson of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC), said such a claim can be disregarded since the post did not reference a  “laboratory test” the drug was subjected to.

VERDICT

The claim that paracetamol tablets contain Machupo virus is false. The recurring hoax has appeared in different countries and it has equally been debunked multiple times.