Experts Reject Ivermectin as Hantavirus Treatment After Viral Misinformation
There is no clinical evidence to support the use of ivermectin as a treatment for hantavirus in humans.
The Viral Claim
Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, a Houston-based physician who was previously reprimanded by the Texas Medical Board for prescribing ivermectin for COVID-19, posted on Twitter that hantavirus is an RNA virus and that ivermectin should work against it. The post received 3.5 million views.
The claim was further amplified by U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who suggested without evidence that pharmaceutical companies manipulated hantavirus for profit.
Medical Professionals Push Back
Dr. Dana Mazo, an infectious disease specialist at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, stated definitively that there is no data supporting ivermectin as a hantavirus treatment in humans.
Multiple other medical experts also rejected the claim:
- Dr. Krutika Kuppalli – No clinical evidence exists.
- Dr. Neil Stone – The claim is unsupported by science.
- Nyka Alexander of the World Health Organization – Confirmed there is no clinical evidence.
The Real Status of Ivermectin
Ivermectin is an FDA-approved antiparasitic drug for limited human uses. It has not been tested against hantavirus in any clinical or laboratory setting.
A History of Misinformation
Ivermectin gained widespread attention during the COVID-19 pandemic as a potential treatment. However, subsequent large-scale studies showed no meaningful benefit for COVID-19 patients. One influential study that had promoted its use was later retracted.
The FDA has consistently discouraged the use of ivermectin for COVID-19, and experts now caution against repeating the same pattern with hantavirus.