Amid growing concern over a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in May 2026, a video showing dozens of rats jumping from a moving truck has been widely shared on social media, falsely claiming it depicts a deliberate spread of the disease. AFP analysis revealed that the clip was likely a hoax, created using OpenAI’s Sora 2, and that a similar version had been circulating since March.
“Dozens of RATS were caught on dashcam exploding out of a hole in a semi-trailer at highway speeds straight out of a horror movie,” News.Az reported, citing AFP news agency.
“A deliberate release? Population control? Or worse… hantavirus carriers being dropped into cities? The WHO literally warned about this.”
The video shows a semi-truck driving down the highway. Through a hole cut into the back of the trailer, dozens of giant rats can be seen rushing single file into the road at breakneck speed.
The same clip went viral in various languages on platforms like X, Reddit and Instagram, as an outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic drew attention to the rare disease.
Hantaviruses are usually spread by infected rodents, usually through urine, feces, and saliva. The Andes strain, which spread on board the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius and killed three passengers, is the only variant known to be transmitted between humans.
The World Health Organization has warned that more cases could occur even after all passengers on the ship are evacuated, but stressed there is “no sign of a major outbreak”.
Eight survivors have been confirmed to have hantavirus infection, including a French woman who is in critical condition.
The fear has led to an online explosion of conspiracy theories, repeating unsubstantiated theories popularized during the coronavirus pandemic and claiming the outbreak is part of a planned epidemic or depopulation campaign.
Videos of rats jumping out of moving trucks also have no basis in reality.
AI detection tools pointed to the use of artificial intelligence, and AFP identified visual anomalies specific to the technology.
News.AZ
Written by Urviya Salmanli
