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In early 2017, social media warnings about paracetamol purportedly contaminated with the Machupo virus began circulating. (Use of the term paracetamol is a sign the claim originated outside the United States, as in the U.S. the drug is more commonly known as acetaminophen.) Machupo (also known as Bolivian hemorrhagic virus or black typhus) is endemic in north and east Bolivia, and is generally spread through air or food. According to the warnings, new very white and shiny P/500 paracetamol has become contaminated with the pathogen, posing a severe risk of infection. These warnings typically appear alone, with no news reports or public health agency releases corroborating their claims. There is no truth to the warning, and public health officials have released statements confirming that the rumors were just that, and not credible. Indonesia's Food and Drug Administration counterpart advised that the claim is a hoax: On 8 February 2017, public health officials in Malaysia debunked the rumors as well, reiterating that viruses typically cannot survive the pill-making process: We were unable to locate any credible reports of paracetamol (or acetaminophen) contaminated by Machupo virus or any other.
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