Most provinces have now entered the 2018-2019 winter-spring flu season, and flu activity levels continue to rise. Oseltamivir has become a “hot commodity” and a “Netflix” drug. Oseltamivir is a specific inhibitor of the enzyme neuraminidase, and its inhibition of neuraminidase inhibits mature influenza viruses from breaking away from host cells, thus inhibiting the spread of influenza viruses in the body to treat influenza. Another drug, ribavirin, is commonly known as “viral azole”, and many people misunderstand its name and think that it is a “cure-all for all diseases”, and it is most commonly used to treat colds. Ribavirin, also known as ribavirin, triazole nucleoside, niskin, etc., is a broad-spectrum, potent antiviral drug. Ribavirin (English: Ribavirin, commonly known as viral azole) is a kind of antiviral drug that belongs to the synthetic nucleoside analogs. It is licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only for use in conjunction with long-acting interferon for the treatment of hepatitis C, human respiratory fusion virus (RSV), and certain hemorrhagic fevers (WHO). Ribavirin was synthesized in 1970 by Joseph T. Witkowski of ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The FDA clearly states that ribavirin is not suitable for the treatment of influenza and strictly defines the indications, and the misuse of ribavirin for the treatment of a variety of viral infections is widespread in China. It is now widely used in the prevention and treatment of viral diseases. Commonly used dosage forms include injections, tablets, oral liquids, aerosols and so on. In its instructions FDA requirements clearly states: ribavirin can cause congenital malformations or death of the fetus, before the start of treatment, during treatment and at least 6 months after discontinuation of the drug, men and women taking ribavirin should be avoided to become pregnant, those who may become pregnant should use at least two or more forms of contraception to effectively contraceptives, and once pregnant should be immediately notified to the doctor. A small amount of the drug is excreted in breast milk, and ribavirin is not recommended for breastfeeding women because of the potential risk to the breastfeeding child. Its scariest risk is however that it can cause hemolytic anemia, teratogenicity and carcinogenicity on and there are chances of triggering hemolytic anemia. One of the scary risks: teratogenicity Ribavirin’s risk of teratogenicity has been confirmed through animal studies in different species. Malformations occur mainly in the skull, palate, eyes, limbs, jaws, bones, and gastrointestinal tract, and their incidence and severity procedures increase with increasing doses. The FDA has serious warnings about ribavirin, requiring drug companies to label ribavirin as teratogenic to the fetus in bold black letters. Exposure to even as low as 1% of the therapeutic dose creates a significant potential for fetal teratogenicity. Ribavirin has a long half-life and can remain in the body for up to six more months after administration. Ribavirin is contraindicated for use in pregnant and breastfeeding women; and contraception is required for both men and women taking this product before, during, and for at least six months after discontinuing treatment. Scary Risk #2: Carcinogenicity Another scary risk of ribavirin is carcinogenicity, which has also been confirmed by animal studies. Experiments on rats have shown that ribavirin may induce benign breast, pancreatic duct, pituitary and adrenal tumors. For ribavirin, there is a 4-page Medication Guide on the FDA that lets patients know the dos and don’ts of the drug and its side effects. As you can see, ribavirin is more toxic than any medication we are familiar with taking in preparation for and during early pregnancy! Incorrect knowledge can easily lead to misuse of the medication, which can have serious consequences.