Ministry shoots down ‘fake news’ P-500 paracetamol contains Machupo virus
The Digital Economy and Society Ministry has warned people not to believe or share news or Internet posts which claim a new paracetamol drug called P-500 contains the Machupo virus, which is one of the world’s deadliest viruses that has contributed to haemorrhagic fever in Central and South America.
“The ministry’s Anti-Fake News Centre contacted the Thailand Food and Drug Administration to verify the information and was told the P-500 has never been imported or registered as a drug in Thailand,” it said.
“Moreover, the Machupo virus cannot develop in a dry place, therefore the chance it could have contaminated a tablet is extremely low,” the ministry said.
“All paracetamol tablets that are manufactured domestically or imported into Thailand must be certified under the GMP standard and have undergone testing for contaminants both before and after they reach the market,” it said.
“If the FDA finds any contamination that could be dangerous to the consumer, it will announce this and recall the drug immediately,” it added.
For more information, contact the Thailand Food and Drug Administration via telephone 0-2590-7000, or visit www.fda.moph.go.th. To report fake news, do so via website www.antifakenewscenter.com.
