By Hui-An Ho and Wei-Ting Chen
To better respond to information disorder during major emergencies in Taiwan and help the public access verified information more quickly, the Taiwan Fact-Checking Alliance — a coalition formed by several fact-checking initiatives including the Taiwan FactCheck Center (TFC) — conducted its first joint simulation exercise ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.
During the exercise, alliance members collaboratively published seven fact-checks and explanatory messages addressing circulating rumors about hantavirus.
The drill allowed alliance members and partners to review existing coordination mechanisms and collaboration workflows. Moving forward, the alliance plans to continue refining its emergency response system through regular exercises, expanding cooperation, and learning from both domestic and international experiences to strengthen Taiwan’s civil society resilience against misinformation during crises.
Rising health concerns before Lunar New Year prompt emergency response drill
At the end of each year, as people travel and gather for Lunar New Year celebrations, the risk of infectious disease transmission typically increases. This period is often accompanied by waves of health-related rumors.
In recent years, Taiwan has seen misinformation surge around public health issues — including false claims about outbreaks of human metapneumovirus in China in 2024, measles rumors tied to hospitals in 2025, and widespread influenza misinformation following the death of Taiwanese celebrity Barbie Hsu from flu-related pneumonia, which even triggered a rush for flu vaccinations.
This year was no exception. After the World Health Organization reported two Nipah virus cases in India in late January, Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced the country’s first hantavirus-related death at the end of the month. Rumors quickly spread online.
With the Lunar New Year holiday approaching and public demand for health information expected to rise, the alliance selected hantavirus rumors as the scenario for testing its emergency response mechanism.
Nearly 20 rumors monitored as health and political narratives intertwined
The exercise took place from February 10 to 13. During this period, alliance members monitored nearly 20 circulating rumors related to hantavirus, covering infection risks, transmission routes, symptoms, and prevention methods.
Some viral claims alleged that “half the rats in Taipei’s Da’an District carry hantavirus,” while others claimed disease-control workers had become collectively infected during rodent extermination operations. Additional rumors warned that Taipei City had deployed poisoned bait in parks, urging pet owners to stay away.
Because hantavirus is primarily transmitted through rodents, social media was flooded with videos showing rats in urban areas, along with warnings about squirrels in parks. Meanwhile, several media outlets cited an influencer doctor claiming the virus had a fatality rate “as high as 90%,” potentially causing unnecessary public panic.
Right: Media reports citing an influencer doctor exaggerated the virus’s fatality rate to 80–90%. Screenshots from social media.
At the same time, Taiwan is preparing for local mayoral elections later this year. Some discussions deliberately linked rodent control to political debates, alleging that current Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an and former Mayor Ko Wen-je had cut pest-control budgets, allowing rat populations to grow unchecked.
Seven fact-checks published to clarify misleading claims
Overall, hantavirus remains a rare infectious disease in Taiwan. The Taipei case marked the first death since hantavirus became a notifiable disease 25 years ago. The dominant strain detected in Taiwan is the Seoul virus, which typically causes milder symptoms with an estimated fatality rate of about 1–2% — far lower than sensational claims circulating online. Human-to-human transmission is also extremely rare.
During the exercise, alliance members released seven fact-checks debunking misleading claims and providing accurate public health information.
Although hantavirus itself did not meet the threshold of a national emergency, the timing and nature of the rumors made it a suitable scenario for testing coordinated emergency response procedures.
Taiwan Fact-Checking Alliance Exercise Summary
| Claim | Fact-checking result | Fact-check link |
| “CDC says half the rats in Taipei’s Da’an District carry hantavirus.” | The CDC reported that 2 out of 4 rats captured near one confirmed case tested positive, not that half of all rats in the district were infected. The rumor misrepresents the statement. | https://tfc-taiwan.org.tw/fact-check-reports/cdc-daan-district-hantavirus-rat-claim-false/ |
| “A hantavirus outbreak has occurred near Dongmen/Yongkang Street — avoid the area.” | Taipei confirmed only one local case as of Jan. 30, with no additional infections or reports of unusual rat activity. | https://www.mygopen.com/2026/02/taipei.html |
| “Taipei mayors cut rodent-control budgets, causing the outbreak.” | Both former and current Taipei mayors increased rodent-control budgets; the claim is false. | https://tfc-taiwan.org.tw/fact-check-reports/taipei-mayors-increased-rodent-control-budget-claims/ |
| “Mixing instant noodles with cement is an effective rat-killing method.” | The method may work but poses risks such as odor problems and accidental pet ingestion. Physical traps are recommended first. | https://www.mygopen.com/2026/02/BASF.html |
| “The most dangerous transmission route is ‘breathing’ dried rat droppings dusk while cleaning.” | Infection mainly occurs through inhaling aerosolized particles from rodent excretions. The rumor oversimplifies transmission and may mislead the public. | https://www.mygopen.com/2026/02/infect.html |
| “Taipei parks are placing poison bait that could harm pets.” | Authorities use traps and burrow control instead of poison bait to avoid ecological risks. Parks are not high-risk infection sites. | https://cofacts.tw/article/2x9ytb0kjibel |
| “Squirrels spread hantavirus and infection has a 80–90% fatality rate.” | ||
| “Hantavirus virus had a fatality rate “as high as 90%” | Taiwan’s dominant hantavirus strain has a ~1–2% fatality rate. Human transmission is extremely rare, and squirrels are not a primary risk concern. | https://tfc-taiwan.org.tw/fact-check-reports/hantavirus-not-pandemic-in-taiwan-dominant-strain-low-fatality/ |
Note: Rumor wording has been edited for clarity. See original reports for full context.
Building a collaborative defense against misinformation
Taiwan’s unique natural environment and geopolitical context make it particularly vulnerable to misinformation threats. In October 2024, the Taiwan FactCheck Center initiated the Taiwan Fact-Checking Alliance to strengthen coordination among fact-checking organizations and improve responses to misinformation during major societal events.
As of February 2026, the alliance includes three members:
Taiwan FactCheck Center (TFC) — East Asia’s first IFCN-certified fact-checking organization, covering politics, health, defense, and daily life topics while also developing AI monitoring tools and media literacy programs.
MyGoPen — an IFCN-certified organization with strong technical expertise focused on everyday misinformation, fraud prevention, and cybersecurity awareness. Its LINE chatbot serves over 500,000 users through one-on-one verification services.
Cofacts — a volunteer-driven open-source fact-checking platform where users collaboratively verify suspicious claims, forming one of the largest Chinese-language rumor databases. Cofacts has recently integrated AI tools to enhance chatbot interaction and verification support.
Under the alliance’s emergency response framework, activation occurs when major events — such as natural disasters, military conflicts, or public health crises — trigger widespread harmful misinformation and a surge in public information demand. Members then divide monitoring and verification tasks to maximize shared resources and avoid duplication.
Expanding reach through cross-sector partnerships
To ensure verified information reaches diverse communities across Taiwan, the alliance collaborates with media outlets and civil society partners that help disseminate fact-checks through their own communication channels.
As of February 2026, seven organizations have signed cooperation agreements as dissemination partners, including:
- Public Television Service (PTS)
- Chinese Television System (CTS)
- Central News Agency (CNA)
- Radio Taiwan International (RTI)
- National Association for the Promotion of Community Universities (NAPCU)
- TransAsia Sisters Association, Taiwan (TASAT)
Among the media partners, Public Television Service (PTS) and Chinese Television System (CTS) are both part of Taiwan’s Public Broadcasting System and have recently expanded their engagement in fact-checking initiatives. The Central News Agency (CNA), Taiwan’s national news wire service, provides news content to media organizations nationwide, while Radio Taiwan International (RTI), Taiwan’s national broadcaster, delivers programming in 20 languages to audiences in more than 140 countries worldwide.
These media organizations possess extensive audiences and established distribution networks, enabling fact-checked information to reach wider segments of society.
Community partners also play a key role. Taiwan’s community university network , including 90 community universities across Taiwan, integrates media literacy into adult education programs, while TASAT promotes media literacy initiatives among migrant communities, including Indonesian migrant workers.
Contact Taiwan Fact-Checking Alliance
Coordinator
Hui-An Ho (Head of International Affairs, Taiwan FactCheck Center)
Representatives
Wei-Ting Chen (Editor-in-Chief, Taiwan FactCheck Center) — [email protected]
Robin Lee (Project Manager, MyGoPen) — [email protected]
Billion Lee (Co-founder, Cofacts) — [email protected]