NPR85%
Hantavirus: the risks, the science and what you need to know 76%
By Berly McCoy0% Emily Kwong0% Rebecca Ramirez0%
5/8/2026, 7:00:00 AM
Topics: Science
BS Summary: This article contains 12 faulty reasoning types, including Framing Effect, Appeal to Authority, and Biased Writer Voice, with Attempt to Sell a Product or Service as the most egregious example at 31.1% saturation with 59 hits. Analysis detected 347 faulty-reasoning hits from 190 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 68.4% and a BS Rank of 76% (4,127 of 16,813 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 75.50% of the article peer group.
On May 2, the World Health Organization got an alarming report: People aboard a ship in the Atlantic Ocean were falling ill.
The culprit is now confirmed as hantavirus, a pathogen that some rodents carry that can infect humans in rare, but often deadly, instances.
Multiple passengers have died, and more people are showing symptoms.
So, we're talking to Emily Abdoler, an infectious disease doctor at the University of Michigan, about the news – how common is hantavirus in humans, what are the consequences of getting it, and how can at-risk people protect themselves from it?
If you found this episode interesting, listen to our episode on Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Interested in more science in the news?
Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.
Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
Listen to Short Wave on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
This episode was produced by Berly McCoy.
It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez.
Tyler Jones checked the facts.
The audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.
Confirmation Bias
0%Confirmation Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0.2%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
3.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anchoring Bias
0%Anchoring Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0.2%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
1.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Availability Heuristic
12.1%Availability Heuristic
OverallThis article
12.1%AuthorBerly McCoy
7.3%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
3.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Representativeness Heuristic
0%Representativeness Heuristic
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
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Hindsight Bias
0%Hindsight Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
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Overconfidence Bias
0%Overconfidence Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0.9%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
2.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Framing Effect
27.4%Framing Effect
OverallThis article
27.4%AuthorBerly McCoy
13.2%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
11.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Loss Aversion
11.6%Loss Aversion
OverallThis article
11.6%AuthorBerly McCoy
1.1%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Status Quo Bias
0%Status Quo Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
1.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Sunk Cost Effect
0%Sunk Cost Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
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Optimism Bias
0%Optimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0.9%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
3.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Pessimism Bias
0%Pessimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
2.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Negativity Bias
16.8%Negativity Bias
OverallThis article
16.8%AuthorBerly McCoy
16%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
11.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Self-Serving Bias
0%Self-Serving Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0.9%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
2.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Fundamental Attribution Error
0%Fundamental Attribution Error
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
1.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Actor-Observer Bias
0%Actor-Observer Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
In-Group Bias
0%In-Group Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
4.1%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
2.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
0%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
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Halo Effect
2.6%Halo Effect
OverallThis article
2.6%AuthorBerly McCoy
5%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
2.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Horn Effect
0%Horn Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Dunning-Kruger Effect
0%Dunning-Kruger Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Recency Bias
16.8%Recency Bias
OverallThis article
16.8%AuthorBerly McCoy
1.7%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
1.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Primacy Effect
0%Primacy Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Blind-Spot Bias
0%Blind-Spot Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ad Hominem
0%Ad Hominem
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Straw Man
0%Straw Man
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Authority
21.6%Appeal to Authority
OverallThis article
21.6%AuthorBerly McCoy
7.6%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
6.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
False Dilemma
0%False Dilemma
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
1.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Slippery Slope
0%Slippery Slope
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
1.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Circular Reasoning
0%Circular Reasoning
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
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Hasty Generalization
5.3%Hasty Generalization
OverallThis article
5.3%AuthorBerly McCoy
4.3%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
4.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Red Herring
0%Red Herring
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
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Bandwagon
7.9%Bandwagon
OverallThis article
7.9%AuthorBerly McCoy
0.8%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
0.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Emotion
0%Appeal to Emotion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
6.5%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
6.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Begging the Question
0%Begging the Question
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0.2%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Post Hoc (False Cause)
0%Post Hoc (False Cause)
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
1.9%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
2.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Tu Quoque
0%Tu Quoque
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Burden of Proof
0%Burden of Proof
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Nature
0%Appeal to Nature
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Composition/Division
0%Composition/Division
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
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Anecdotal
0%Anecdotal
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
1.9%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
2.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
No True Scotsman
0%No True Scotsman
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
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Ambiguity (Equivocation)
12.1%Ambiguity (Equivocation)
OverallThis article
12.1%AuthorBerly McCoy
2%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
1.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Gambler’s Fallacy
0%Gambler’s Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
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Middle Ground
0%Middle Ground
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Personal Incredulity
0%Personal Incredulity
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
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Special Pleading
0%Special Pleading
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Genetic Fallacy
0%Genetic Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
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Unattributed Quote
0%Unattributed Quote
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
3.9%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
1.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Quote-first Misdirection
0%Quote-first Misdirection
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0.5%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Biased Writer Voice
17.4%Biased Writer Voice
OverallThis article
17.4%AuthorBerly McCoy
10.7%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
3.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Indoctrination
0%Indoctrination
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
2.8%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Left Leaning Bias
0%Politically Left Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
1.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Right Leaning Bias
0%Politically Right Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorBerly McCoy
0%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
31.1%Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
OverallThis article
31.1%AuthorBerly McCoy
22.7%PublicationGoats and Soda (NPR)
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
190 words analyzed.
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.