Rashly lowering body temperature in people with the flu can make it easier for the virus to multiply, says New Scientist.
People with flu are usually advised to take anti-fever and painkillers – such as acetaminophen and aspirin. However, fever is a defensive reaction of the body. One of its roles is believed to be making it difficult for viruses to replicate (at temperatures above 37 degrees Celsius, many viruses struggle to do so).
According to David Earn of McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, some studies have shown that lowering fever can extend the duration of a viral infection and increase the number of viruses passed on to other people.
Earn and his colleagues cite a 1982 study of ferrets. These small mammals are often used as models of influenza in humans. As it turned out, lowering the body temperature of the ferret led to an increased multiplication of the influenza virus (while the body temperature of the animals was lowered by administering drugs or … shaving their fur).
Eorn’s team calculated that lowering the body temperature of people with flu could lead to an increased multiplication of the virus, by about 5% more. the number of cases and, consequently, from 700 to 2000 additional deaths per year in the United States alone.
Each winter in the United States, an average of 41 people die from complications caused by the flu, most of whom are elderly. The number of victims depends on the strain of the virus.
McMaster team member Paul Andrews adds that these estimates are cautious because they do not take into account patients who return to school or work while feeling better with antipyretic drugs and infect others.
Nick Phin, an infectious disease specialist in Public Health England, is skeptical. He believes that the McMaster scientists rely too much on animal research, and that the antipyretics used to treat flu are safe and effective.
Edward Purssell of King’s College London believes it is best to avoid routine administration of antipyretic medications. “The fever won’t hurt, and it might help,” he says. During an official panel in England, he recommended that antipyretics be given only to children under 5 years of age. (PAP)