Ivermectin poisoning on the rise as fake news spreads

NEW YORK • Poisonings in the US from taking ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug that some people have used in an attempt to treat or prevent Covid-19, rose sharply in August, according to a report from the Oregon Poison Centre.

The centre, which also serves Alaska and Guam, received 21 calls from people reporting ivermectin toxicity in August, up from a previous average of fewer than one per month, according to the report published on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Ivermectin, approved to treat parasitic worms in both people and livestock, has surged in popularity recently as fringe groups, vaccine sceptics and social media figures hype it as a cheap and accessible treatment for the coronavirus.

Among the 21 reported poisonings, six people were hospitalised, including four who required intensive care.

All six hospitalisations were for people taking ivermectin to prevent the viral disease, according to the report.

Symptoms included gastrointestinal distress, confusion, weakness, loss of muscle coordination, low blood pressure and seizures.

Ivermectin may lower replication of the coronavirus in laboratory dishes, but randomised, controlled trials do not indicate a benefit for Covid-19, the study authors from the Oregon Health & Science University wrote. Improper use "may result in serious side effects requiring hospitalisation".

Other institutions in the US have issued cautions regarding the same dangers. In September, Utah's Health Department warned against using ivermectin to treat Covid-19 after a patient who took large amounts was hospitalised.

"The current evidence on the use of ivermectin to treat patients is inconclusive," the World Health Organisation (WHO) said in late March. "Until more data is available, WHO recommends the drug be used only within clinical trials."

Merck, a manufacturer of the drug, has also said that available data does not support using the drug as a treatment for Covid-19.

Meanwhile, in Singapore, a 65-year-old retiree was hospitalised earlier this month with fever and joint inflammation after she took four 3mg tablets of ivermectin over two days.

But certain websites and chat groups have pushed for self-medication with ivermectin as a way to prevent Covid-19 infection or treat its symptoms.

Last Friday, Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) put up a Facebook post warning against a website known as Truth Warriors, which is run by a group of anonymous individuals and claims to be presenting "the other side of the Covid picture".

The site has put up articles claiming that ivermectin is safe and effective for Covid-19 treatment.

"Self-medicating with ivermectin can be dangerous to one's health, and there have been reports of patients requiring hospitalisation after doing so," the MOH said in its post, urging the public to avoid spreading misinformation.

On Tuesday, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said it had foiled five attempts to illegally import 23,100 ivermectin tablets between Sept 10 and Oct 6.

BLOOMBERG, REUTERS