On this, our 325th Evolutionary Lens livestream, we discuss Hanta virus and drought. First: what is the natural history of Hantavirus, do any Hantaviruses transmit directly from human to human, and what is going on with the M.V. Hondius, the cruise ship on which Hantavirus has made a stand? Given its mechanisms of action, Ivermectin is likely to treat Hantavirus (a negative sense single-stranded RNA virus), but the WHO dismisses the possibility. Moderna is working on a Hantavirus vaccine, even though the Number Needed to Treat is sky high. What is going on? Then: in Washington state, we’re experiencing a very wet drought. The Department of Ecology has declared a drought (again), and the snow pack is low, but all other indicators—from rivers to reservoirs to soil moisture—are excellent. Cliff Mass, atmospheric scientist, puts the evidence in one place and calls bull on the drought diagnosis.
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Mentioned in this episode:
Hantavirus and the elders:
https://asm.org/articles/2024/october/indigenous-knowledge-solved-mysterious-outbreak
Toledo et al 2022. Evidence for human-to-human transmission of hantavirus: a systematic review. The Journal of infectious diseases, 226(8): 1362-1371:
https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/226/8/1362/6369311
Zaidi & Dehgani-Mobaraki 2022. The mechanisms of action of ivermectin against SARS-CoV-2—an extensive review. The Journal of antibiotics, 75(2): 60-71:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41429-021-00491-6
The WHO on the recent outbreak:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2026-DON599
Cliff Mass – There is no drought emergency:
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-is-no-drought-emergency-in.html
Statewide drought declared in WA:
https://ecology.wa.gov/about-us/who-we-are/news/2026/april-8-statewide-drought-declared-due-to-dismal-snowpack
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Timestamps:
00:00:00 Framing the Hantavirus
00:03:44 Sponsor: Xlear Nasal Spray
00:06:46 Sponsor: Fresh Pressed Olive Oil
00:10:37 Sponsor: CrowdHealth
00:13:30 Hantavirus Outbreak on the MV Hondius
00:16:13 How Hantavirus Actually Spreads
00:19:05 Gain-of-Function & the Ship Mystery
00:49:15 Moderna's Hantavirus Vaccine
01:05:12 AI Safety Filters Blocking Science
01:15:43 Washington State's "Drought" Declared
01:28:02 Is There Really a Water Crisis?
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