How We Research & Review

A plain-language explanation of who writes this site, how we source and verify every claim, and what we do — and do not — claim about our expertise.

Who Writes This Site

All content on HantavirusQuestions.com is researched and written by Andy Wilcox, founder of the Virus Questions network. Andy is an independent researcher — not a physician, virologist, or epidemiologist.

His background is in analytical research: applying rigorous primary-source methodology to complex bodies of evidence. He holds an MBA and professional credentials (CPA, PMP), and has spent 30+ years as a consultant, operating executive, and investor. He brings that same analytical discipline to public health information — working directly from CDC, WHO, NIH, and peer-reviewed sources rather than from secondary summaries or news articles.

This site has no medical reviewer. No licensed clinician reviews content before or after publication. The content represents Andy Wilcox's independent research and synthesis of authoritative primary sources — not medical opinion. For personal medical concerns, consult a qualified healthcare provider.

Primary Sources We Use

Every factual claim on clinical pages is sourced to one of the following. We do not cite news articles or other websites as primary evidence for clinical claims.

  • CDC — U.S. primary authority for hantavirus surveillance, case definitions, and clinical guidance
  • WHO / PAHO — global epidemiological data, outbreak reports, and international public health guidance
  • NIH / PubMed — biomedical research database and peer-reviewed literature
  • State health departments — outbreak and surveillance data for U.S. cases
  • Peer-reviewed journals — Journal of Infectious Diseases, Emerging Infectious Diseases (CDC), NEJM, The Lancet, Science, and others indexed in PubMed

We apply a hierarchy of evidence consistent with evidence-based medicine: systematic reviews and RCTs first, followed by CDC/WHO guidance, then observational data. When sources disagree, we note the disagreement rather than picking a side.

Where scientific or historical consensus is well established, content reflects that consensus. Where evidence is uncertain or evolving — such as antiviral research or novel strains — that uncertainty is stated explicitly rather than implied or omitted.

Fact-Checking Process

Every factual claim on a clinical page goes through the following steps before publication:

  1. Source identification — The specific CDC page, WHO document, or peer-reviewed study that supports the claim is located and linked.
  2. Claim verification — The claim is compared directly to the source text. Paraphrasing is checked to confirm accuracy of meaning, not just surface transcription.
  3. Cross-reference check — Where possible, significant clinical claims are cross-referenced against at least two independent authoritative sources.
  4. Uncertainty flagging — Any claim that is provisional, contested, or based on limited data is marked as such in the published text.

We cite specific studies and primary sources so readers can verify every claim independently. Where a claim is linked, the link goes to the underlying primary document — not to an article that reported on it.

Monthly Content Review Process

Core content pages (Symptoms, Transmission, Prevention, Treatment, Outbreaks) are reviewed at least monthly against current CDC and WHO guidance. The review process:

  1. Current CDC and WHO source documents are fetched on the first of each month.
  2. An AI-assisted review compares existing page claims against those authoritative sources.
  3. Only claims that are directly contradicted by current authority guidance are flagged — the review does not rewrite or expand content speculatively.
  4. Corrections are applied to the affected pages and committed to the site.
  5. The "Last reviewed" date on each clinical page is updated to reflect the most recent review cycle, even if no content changes were needed.

This means clinical pages are never more than ~6 weeks out of date with CDC/WHO guidance. When CDC or WHO updates its hantavirus guidance, affected pages are updated within 30 days. The review is logged in our GitHub repository, so the change history is public and auditable.

The site's news section is updated daily via automated aggregation of major public health and scientific news sources.

Use of AI Tools

This site uses AI language model tools (including Claude by Anthropic) to assist with research, drafting, and editing. All AI-assisted content is reviewed, edited, and approved by the author before publication. AI tools are used to help organize information and improve clarity — not to generate factual claims independently. Every factual claim is verified against primary sources by the author.

Independence and Funding

HantavirusQuestions.com is independently operated. It has no financial relationship with any pharmaceutical company, public health agency, or healthcare institution. Editorial content is not influenced by any organization with a financial interest in the subject matter.

This site generates revenue through two disclosed mechanisms:

  • Amazon Associates: When you click an Amazon link and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Product recommendations follow CDC guidance on prevention — only items that CDC or peer-reviewed sources identify as relevant to hantavirus prevention or cleanup are recommended.
  • Google AdSense: Display advertising served by Google. Ad content is determined by Google's algorithms and is not selected or endorsed by this site.

Neither revenue source influences editorial content, source selection, or how any topic is framed.

What This Site Is Not

  • Not medical advice. Nothing here should be used to make personal health decisions. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider.
  • Not affiliated with CDC or WHO. We cite these agencies as primary sources; we are not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
  • Not a news publication. The daily news feed aggregates headlines from authoritative sources for awareness — it is not editorial coverage or original journalism.
  • Not a peer-reviewed resource. We synthesize peer-reviewed research for a general audience; the synthesis itself has not been peer-reviewed.

Medical Disclaimer

The information on HantavirusQuestions.com is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as, and does not constitute, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider for any medical concerns. In an emergency, call 911.

Corrections

Errors are corrected promptly — typically within 48 hours of identification. Readers and clinicians can submit corrections at any time via our corrections page or the contact page. Confirmed corrections are applied promptly and the change is noted on the affected page. See the author page for Andy Wilcox's full background and credentials.