Mexican Expert Warns Not to Use Aspirin to Ease H1N1 Flu Symptoms
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An expert from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) on Friday warned patients with A/H1N1 flu symptoms not to take "acetylsalicylic acid" (aspirin), as it can produce sever damage to liver.
"It has been observed that in some cases, mainly in children who had influenza, after they took aspirin, they developed the "Reye" syndrome, which means severely damage of liver, and it can produce fatal consequences," Susana Lopez Charreton said.
Lopez suggested the infected people with the possible A/H1N1 flu symptoms "to avoid that analgesic" to avoid complications.
"In case of high fever and headache it is better to take acetaminophen or paracetamol, which are analgesic commercially known as Tylenol or Tempra," Lope said.
She also suggested people with the flu symptoms, which are high fever, headache, running nose and muscle pain, to immediately go to hospital.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that the total number of lab confirmed human infections of influenza A/H1N1 has reached 365 as of 1900 GMT on Friday.
Mexico reported 156 cases with 15 dead, the US has reported 141 cases with one dead, while Canada has 34 cases, Spain 13, United Kingdom 8, Germany 3, New Zealand 3, Israel 2, Austria 1, The Netherlands 1 and Switzerland 1, the WHO said.
(Xinhua News Agency May 2, 2009)