Hantavirus Concerns Trigger Resurgence of Pandemic-Era Conspiracy Theories

A fresh outbreak of hantavirus aboard a Dutch-flagged cruise ship has triggered a wave of familiar conspiracy theories reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic, with misinformation spreading rapidly across social media platforms despite health officials’ assurances of minimal public risk.

The World Health Organization confirmed Friday that the general public faces little danger from passengers of the MV Hondius, where a passenger is believed to have contracted the rare respiratory disease before boarding in Argentina and subsequently infected others on board.

Despite these reassurances, conspiracy narratives quickly dominated online discourse. “LOCKDOWN ALERT: Globalists Launch Covid 2.0 As Hantavirus Spreads Worldwide,” declared InfoWars founder Alex Jones on X, formerly Twitter. His post was just one among many labeling the outbreak a “plandemic” – a term borrowed from a widely discredited 2020 pseudo-documentary that promoted COVID-19 falsehoods.

An AFP analysis uncovered widespread claims suggesting the outbreak is part of a coordinated plot to force vaccination, reimpose lockdowns, or influence America’s upcoming November elections by expanding mail-in voting – a method that election deniers have long claimed, without evidence, facilitates fraud.

“The almost-immediate resurrection of COVID-19 era conspiracy theories is a reminder that misinformation doesn’t simply disappear once the crisis that yielded them is over,” explained Yotam Ophir, who heads the University at Buffalo’s Media Effects, Misinformation and Extremism lab. Ophir noted that during the pandemic, health misinformation became increasingly intertwined with political identity, making election-related conspiracy theories particularly potent.

Some social media users have pointed to past reporting on potential hantavirus vaccines, statements from billionaire Bill Gates, and even plots from 1990s television shows as supposed “evidence” that the virus was deliberately released to reduce global population or generate profits for pharmaceutical companies.

Other posts falsely claimed that hantavirus is a side effect of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines, misrepresenting a monitoring document that simply listed it among many “adverse events of special interest” to be watched for – not as a known consequence of vaccination.

These conspiracy narratives have deep historical roots, according to Ophir, tracing back centuries to fears that diseases were manufactured by elites. However, today’s social media algorithms accelerate their spread, with the theories sometimes amplified by anti-vaccine voices in positions of political influence.

The absence of approved vaccines or established treatments for hantavirus – a disease typically spread by infected rodents that can cause respiratory distress, cardiac issues and hemorrhagic fever – has created a vacuum quickly filled by claims about unproven remedies.

Former U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who characterized the virus as a “bioweapon” released to help pharmaceutical companies profit from “poison” vaccines, promoted claims about the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin from Texas otolaryngologist Mary Talley Bowden, whom AFP has previously fact-checked for spreading health misinformation.

Bowden subsequently offered to sell ivermectin, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis renewed support for previously failed legislation aimed at making the drug available without prescription.

“There is extreme misinformation about ivermectin,” John Lednicky, a virologist at the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions, told AFP. “Outside of laboratory tests, ivermectin has not proven effective in treating infections.”

Ophir suggested that the promotion of these conspiracy theories may serve dual purposes – gaining political favor while also potentially generating revenue. During times of public anxiety and confusion, “online influencers, social media groups, or AI-operated users, may seize the chance to make some money,” he explained.

The rapid resurgence of pandemic-era misinformation highlights how quickly dormant conspiracy theories can reactivate during new health emergencies, creating challenges for public health communication and response efforts.