A Houston-based doctor, Mary Talley Bowden, has shared a possible solution to tackle the hantavirus outbreak that led to the evacuation of three people suspected of carrying the pathogen on MV Hondius cruise ship. The World Health Organization said emergency crews evacuated two sick crew members and another person who had been in contact with one of the confirmed cases on Wednesday. The cruise then left its anchorage off Cape Verde and headed for Spain's Canary Islands.
Latest Georgia update
Earlier this week, the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) said that it was monitoring two residents who returned home after disembarking from the MV Hondius. Authorities said that both of them are in good health and have shown no signs of infection. They have not been been identified yet.
Read More: ‘Very limited experience…’: Experts provide key update after 3 evacuated from hantavirus-hit ship
Doctor's Ivermectin push
Meanwhile, Mary Talley Bowden shared on social media that Ivermectin, an FDA-approved antiparasitic medication used to treat various infections caused by worms and external parasites, could possibly work against hantavirus.
“Hantavirus is a RNA virus, and ivermectin should work against it. Ivermectin blocks RNA viruses from entering the nucleus, inhibits viral replication, disrupts integrity of the viral membrane and can prevent viral replication,” she wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
Former Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene was quick to respond to Bowden's tweet.
{{/usCountry}}Former Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene was quick to respond to Bowden's tweet.
{{/usCountry}}Read More: Hantavirus update: Where are the 23 cruise passengers? How many cases confirmed?
“I actually texted her today and asked what can we treat hantavirus with. I’m so glad she posted it. Ivermectin. Also vitamin D and zinc. Those of us who refused to lockdown, mask up, and get vaxxed took the good ole horse paste and also developed natural immunity,” MTG wrote.
US CDC downsplay outbreak
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) downplayed on Wednesday any threat to Americans from the hantavirus.
"At this time, the risk to the American public is extremely low," the United States' top public health institution said. "We urge all Americans aboard the ship to follow the guidance of health officials as we work to bring you home safely."
Three aboard the MV Hondius died from the rare but deadly virus, and evacuation of the remaining passengers is expected to begin May 11, via Spain's Tenerife island.
Director of the National Institutes of Health , Dr Jay Bhattacharya, said that the CDC is coordinating ‘with domestic and international partners as soon as we were notified of a hantavirus situation’.
“We understand that people are concerned and looking for information and that is why we provided clear, written health guidance to the American passengers through the State Department. The safety and health of the affected American travelers is our number one goal.”
“Hantavirus is not spread by people without symptoms, transmission requires close contact, and the risk to the American public is very low. CDC has the world’s leading experts on hantavirus and is lending its technical expertise when coordinating with interagency partners, state health offices, and international authorities on response and repatriation planning. We will be monitoring the health status and preparing medical support for all of the American passengers on the cruise. CDC will continue to update as more information becomes available and remains committed to protecting the health and safety of the American public.”
The claims regarding ivermectin as a possible treatment for hantavirus are statements made by Dr Mary Talley Bowden on social media and have not been verified by major public health agencies, including the CDC or WHO. There is currently no officially approved antiviral treatment for hantavirus, and readers should not interpret these remarks as medical advice or confirmed treatment guidance.