90-Second Read: Old Taiwan Hantavirus death falsely shared as recent

Taiwan had not recorded a death from the rodent-borne Hantavirus disease in early May 2026, contrary to false online posts that surfaced shortly after Taipei's mayor announced a pest control drive in... Taiwan records sporadic Hantavirus infections annually, but the latest death was logged in January, with two other reported infections as of May 27. All domestically acquired and imported Hantavirus cases reported in Taiwan involved the Seoul virus, which is associated with lower severity and fatality rates than the Andes virus, according to the CDC (archived here and here ). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), including the three people who were killed on the cruise ship, a total of 12 cases have been reported as of May 22 ( archived link ).

Reports published by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicate three Hantavirus cases have so far been recorded on the island. Subsequent keyword searches on the CDC website led to another statement published on May 3 about the island's second Hantavirus case ( archived link ). Hantavirus is a notifiable disease that requires consistent surveillance in Taiwan, with doctors and forensic pathologists required to report cases within 24 hours ( archived link ). It includes a video of a pest-control activity, with overlaid text stating the death occurred "a few days ago".

Similar claims were shared elsewhere on Weibo and Douyin, with a May 8 post from the Chinese state-owned media CCTV also saying the death happened "a few days ago". The announcement also came amid a global scare triggered by a deadly Hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde ( archived link ). Hantavirus typically spreads from the urine, faeces and saliva of infected rodents. It involved another elderly man in his seventies who tested positive for Hantavirus in March and was discharged on March 30.

Four rats were captured around his residence and places of activity, and two of them tested positive for Hantavirus. The Seoul virus is a type of Hantavirus that is transmitted from rats to humans, according to the WHO ( archived link ). All known cases in the current outbreak were people on board the Dutch-flagged vessel, with the global health agency saying the risk to the general population is "absolutely low" (archived here and here ).