Japan warns of influenza-linked abnormal behaviour

TOKYO, Mar 1 (Reuters) Japan's Health Ministry urged medical experts on influenza to warn people that patients with the virus could show abnormal behaviour or psychiatric problems.

The ministry's move yesterday came a day after a 14-year-old boy fell from a condominium building and died in northern Japan.

The boy had apparently taken the influenza drug Tamiflu, although the ministry said there was no evidence that the drug was responsible for psychiatric problems.

''We do not think there are grave concerns over the safety of Tamiflu at this stage,'' the ministry said in a statement.

It added that influenza sufferers may show abnormal behaviour regardless of whether they had taken the drug.

Swiss drug maker Roche Holding AG produces Tamiflu, and Chugai Pharmaceutical Co Ltd sells the drug in Japan.

In November the US Food and Drug Administration decided to require Roche to put a caution on Tamiflu labels urging close monitoring for abnormal behaviour such as delirium.

Japan's Health Ministry also called on medical experts to tell families of infants or minors infected with influenza not to leave them alone for at least two days.

Concerns about psychiatric problems linked to Tamiflu surfaced in 2005 after 12 children in Japan were reported to have died and 32 experienced abnormal behaviour after having taken the drug.

Tamiflu, known generically as oseltamivir, is mainly used to prevent and treat seasonal influenza, which the World Health Organisation says kills up to 500,000 people a year.

At the WHO's recommendation, the drug is being stockpiled by governments worldwide for mass use in case of an influenza pandemic. Experts fear that may be sparked by the H5N1 bird flu virus that has killed 167 since late 2003, according to the World Health Organisation.

REUTERS PB RAI0927