Unproven Hantavirus Treatments Flood Social Media

Rumors about use of medically unproven treatment methods for hantavirus are circulating online amid the cruise ship outbreak. This resulted in a stir amongst health care professionals and public health officials who stress that ivermectin is not a proven treatment for hantavirus.

The Source of the Claims

The online discussions originated from Mary Talley Bowden, MD, an otolaryngologist in Houston, Texas, who posted on Twitter about treatment of hantavirus with ivermectin. The post has been viewed 3.5 million times.¹

“Hantavirus is an RNA virus, and ivermectin should work against it,” Bowden reasoned in her tweet. “Ivermectin blocks RNA viruses from entering the nucleus, inhibits viral replication, disrupts the integrity of the viral membrane and can prevent viral replication.”²

Bowden has a rather controversial history and is a well-known face online in more conservative areas of the internet. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was a staunch vaccine skeptic and supporter of ivermectin as a treatment for the virus.¹

After prescribing a hospitalized patient ivermectin for a COVID-19 infection in 2021, the Texas Medical Board filed a complaint against her, accusing her of multiple violations around standard-of-care practices.¹

Ivermectin and its Uses

Ivermectin remains at the forefront of controversial treatments even after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its use has expanded beyond veterinary medicine or treatment of parasitic diseases to viral illnesses, despite lack of sufficient evidence regarding efficacy and safety.

According to infectious disease expert Marilyn N. Bulloch, PharmD, BCPS, FCCM, SPP, associate clinical professor and director of strategic operations at the Harrison College of Pharmacy, Auburn University, ivermectin is an antiparasitic that works by paralyzing muscles in parasites, causing them to die, and is approved for treating infections such as roundworm and river blindness. The theory behind the use of ivermectin against hantavirus is centered around RNA. Some in vitro studies show potential immune-modulating capabilities with ivermectin; however, the doses used in these studies are often far higher than is safe for humans.³

In addition, the mechanism of action underlying ivermectin does not align with the pathology of hantavirus, supporting its unsuitability in this context. Ivermectin works by binding to glutamate-gated chloride channels found in invertebrate nerve and muscle cells, making it effective against parasitic infections. Hantavirus, however, lacks these channels entirely—in fact, it has no ion channels at all, rendering ivermectin ineffective.³

“There are no studies that have tested ivermectin against hantavirus. Any thorough reviews of potential treatments—written and published long before the current outbreak—never even mention ivermectin,” Bulloch said in an email. “I would point out that hantavirus is absolutely not a new virus. It’s been around for a long time and researchers have been looking at treatments for a long time.”

Vitamin D and Zinc

Vitamin D and zinc are also involved in the online conversation surrounding treatment for hantavirus. These supplements are known to have immune system benefits, but their ability to “treat” hantavirus is unknown.

Vitamin D and zinc both play roles in immune regulation, with zinc having documented antiviral properties. However, neither has been studied for hantavirus specifically, and neither appears in published clinical reviews for this infection. Similarly, ivermectin—despite antiviral activity in other contexts—lacks evidence for hantavirus treatment.^4,5

“It is really, really important to remember that in any infection, viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic, etc, we have to give the right dose to actually be effective against whatever pathogen we are targeting,” said Bulloch. “Often there is a delicate balance between giving a high enough dose to be toxic to the pathogen without being overly toxic to the patient. Even if there were in vitro data with ivermectin and hantavirus, we would be playing a guessing game as to what dose to use.”

Claims of using ivermectin, vitamin D, and zinc as therapeutic options echo the COVID-19 pandemic. As misinformation continued to flood the internet, alongside the growing influence of social media as a primary information source, this presents a unique challenge for health care professionals and pharmacists. Informed, empathetic counseling of patients is more crucial than ever as they navigate a world of competing health claims.

REFERENCES

1. Forbes Breaking News. No, Ivermectin Is Not Proven To Treat Hantavirus. YouTube. May 7, 2026. Accessed May 8, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jrkZP_nxAo

2. MaryBowdenMD. Hantavirus is a RNA virus, and ivermectin should work against it. Ivermectin blocks RNA viruses from entering the nucleus, inhibits. MediaVault. May 6, 2026. Accessed May 8, 2026. https://mvau.lt/media/95fe503c-e750-4a89-a3bd-a90c0b969102

3. Strong evidence lacking to support claim that ivermectin is a cure for COVID-19; there are only limited cilnical results at this stage. Science Feedback. January 16, 2021. Accessed May 8, 2026. https://science.feedback.org/review/strong-evidence-lacking-to-support-claim-that-ivermectin-is-a-cure-for-covid-19-there-are-only-limited-clinical-results-at-this-stage-oann/

4. Read SA, Obeid S, Ahlenstiel C, Ahlenstiel G. The role of zinc in antiviral immunity. Adv Nutr. 2019;10(4):696-710. doi:10.1093/advances/nmz013

5. Bishop EL, Ismailova A, Dimeloe S, Hewison M, White JH. Vitamin D and immune regulation: antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory. JBMR Plus. 2020;5(1):e10405. doi:10.1002/jbm4.10405