[kitski]

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

TOKYO — The health ministry warned Wednesday that children infected with influenza could behave abnormally regardless of whether they have taken the anti-flu drug Tamiful after two teenagers plunged to death earlier this month apparently after taking the drug.

In letters to the Japan Medical Association, the Japan Pharmaceutical Association and prefectural governments, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry asked medical experts to explain about the possible abnormal behavior to outpatients and their families, it said.

Although the ministry is doubtful about the alleged link between the drug and the deaths, it said in some cases flu infection can affect the brain.

It also called on parents not to leave their children alone for at least two days after flu infection and told the drug's distributor in Japan — Chugai Pharmaceutical Co — to provide relevant information to medical experts.

A 14-year-old boy fell to his death Tuesday at a condominium building where he lived in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, after apparently taking Tamiflu the day before and a 14-year-old girl died Feb 16 in similar circumstances in Aichi Prefecture.

There have been reports that the antiviral drug could have caused abnormal behavior among some children leading to their deaths, but the ministry has denied any causal relation between the deaths and the drug.

The government is building a stockpile of the drug, known generically as oseltamivir phosphate, as part of its efforts to step up preparedness for an epidemic of a new type of influenza.

The drug is produced by the Swiss healthcare group Roche and imported for sale in Japan by Chugai, the group's Japanese unit.