Ribavirin is a broad-spectrum antiviral drug, not an antibiotic, which inhibits inosine-5-phosphate dehydrogenase and blocks the conversion of inosinic acid to guanosine acid, thereby inhibiting the synthesis of viral RNA and DNA, and inhibits the replication of both DNA and RNA viruses. It is clinically useful for the prevention and treatment of influenza, parainfluenza, hepatitis A, B and C, measles, mumps, chickenpox, herpes, viral keratitis, herpetic stomatitis, and pediatric viral pneumonia. After clinical studies, ribavirin also has anti-tumor effects.