Rumors in the U.S. : Contagious hantavirus strain may stay in human sperm for six years — and turn into an STI

But according to the European Medicines Agency, there is no scientific evidence showing ivermectin works against hantavirus. Officials say there are currently no approved antivirals or vaccines for the disease, and treatment mainly depends on supportive hospital care.

Another conspiracy theory targets Moderna, after users noticed the company has been researching mRNA vaccines related to hantaviruses. Viral posts on X suggested this somehow “proves” the company knew an outbreak was coming.

In reality, pharmaceutical companies frequently research vaccines for viruses that have existed for decades. Moderna’s collaboration with the Vaccine Innovation Center at Korea University is still in preclinical development, meaning human testing has not even started.

Conspiracy accounts then used the confusion to accuse Israel of creating the outbreak or to claim the virus itself was fake.

In reality, the name “hantavirus” comes from the Hantaan River in Korea, where scientists identified one of the viruses in the 1970s. The disease was first studied after cases appeared among soldiers during the Korean War decades earlier.

The World Health Organization recommends that Ebola survivors have their semen tested every three months and are not “cleared” for unprotected sex until they record two consecutive negative test results. Until cleared, they should “abstain from all types of sex” or “use condoms consistently and correctly.” They should also wash themselves “thoroughly” with soap and water after any contact with semen — including after masturbation, according to the guidance. Experts, including those at the disease forecasting company Airfinity, a disease recommend that survivors of the Andes strain follow suit. Airfinity stressed to the Telegraph that male hantavirus patient guidance should be “analogous to the World Health Organization’s Ebola survivor semen-monitoring protocols,” and that hantavirus survivors should receive “extensive safe-sex guidance beyond the [42-day] quarantine.” The outbreak of the Andes hantavirus, which is primarily spread by rodents but can be transmitted between people in rare cases, was reported in early May aboard the MV Hondius, a luxury expedition cruise ship.