Pandemic Fever Is BACK, Testosterone and Brain Tumors, Rabies, and Dog Flu : 1463

Summary

The Human Upgrade: Biohacking for Longevity & Performance

Host: Dave Asprey
Episode: Pandemic Fever Is BACK, Testosterone and Brain Tumors, Rabies, and Dog Flu (#1463)
Date: May 8, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this rapid-fire "10 minute weekly upgrade," Dave Asprey breaks down some of the most urgent and surprising developments in health, biohacking, and public policy. From new research on testosterone’s critical role in brain tumor suppression, breaking infectious disease news, to the legal battles shaping American healthcare access, Dave connects science, real-world threats, and actionable biohacks—all in his trademark, fast-paced style. Listeners receive practical takeaways: track your hormones, understand pandemic risks, beware of diagnostic bottlenecks, and don’t rely on institutions alone when your immediate biology is at stake.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Testosterone and Brain Tumors

[02:35 - 05:00]

• New Study: NIH-funded research at the Cleveland Clinic finds that testosterone suppresses the stem cells of glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer.
  • “When testosterone levels were low, it activated androgen receptors in a way that accelerated tumor growth and invasion. When they restored normal T levels, tumor growth dropped 38% and survival improved.” – Dave Asprey (03:55)
• Paradigm Shift: Traditionally, medical advice held that more testosterone increases cancer risk. This study flips that script, at least with respect to brain cancer, showing androgen deprivation can make tumors more aggressive.
• Implications for Treatment: This challenges the longstanding oncological practice of using androgen deprivation for cancer and suggests a broader impact on other cancer pathways.
• Biohacker Advice:
  • Dave personally tracks total and free testosterone quarterly, aiming for "above exceptional levels," not for aesthetics but for broad biological optimization including brain function and cancer defense.
  • “If you're a man over 40 and you haven't run a full hormone panel in the last six months, this is your wake up call. Get the numbers. This is a cancer conversation now, not just a performance conversation.” – Dave Asprey (05:00)

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2. CDC Pauses Rabies Testing Nationwide

[05:00 - 07:05]

• Testing Delays: Due to staffing crises, the CDC has paused rabies, MPOX, and Epstein Barr testing, handing overflow to state labs and causing 1-2 week diagnostic delays.
• Why It Matters: The fatality rate after showing rabies symptoms is ~100%. The window for post-exposure treatment is just 10 days.
  • “You do not want to die from rabies. Hard to imagine many worse deaths.” – Dave Asprey (06:08)
• Action Steps:
  • If bitten by an animal: Go to the ER immediately for post-exposure treatment—do NOT wait for paperwork/labs.
  • Keep pets vaccinated yearly.
  • Travelers to endemic regions (Asia, Africa, Latin America): Consider pre-exposure vaccination.
  • “This is one to be preemptive about, guys.” – Dave Asprey (06:52)

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3. Legal Battles Over Drug Access: Medical Autonomy at Risk

[07:05 - 08:30]

• Supreme Court & Mifepristone: The Supreme Court issued a one-week stay regarding nationwide access to the abortion drug mifepristone, potentially setting precedent for access to all FDA-approved medications—including compounded peptides and bioidentical hormones.
• Biohacking Context:
  • Restricting telehealth is a control mechanism that could easily extend into broader biohacking treatments.
  • “Telehealth access is health infrastructure. Restricting it is a control mechanism, and the category of things it controls tends to expand over time.” – Dave Asprey (08:05)
• Advice for Listeners: Know what's available in your state now before legal rulings change access. For women seeking reproductive choices or anyone using biohacks outside Big Pharma, watch the case closely.

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4. New Zoonotic Viruses: Pandemic Patterns Persist

[08:30 - 09:30]

• University of Florida Research:
  • Highlights influenza D (common among US cattle) and a canine coronavirus (HUP, previously hopped to humans in China). Both viruses mutate quickly, have no vaccines, and human population immunity is virtually zero.
  • “The practical response to both of these viruses is building mucosal immunity now before you need it.” – Dave Asprey (09:10)
• Biohacker Recommendations:
  • Prioritize airway health: zinc, vitamin D, high-quality fermented foods.
  • Manage stress for optimal mucosal defense.
  • “Your airway lining is your first barrier against respiratory pathogens. And most people's is functionally compromised from poor sleep and chronic stress.” – Dave Asprey (09:22)

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5. Hantavirus Outbreak: Understanding the Real Risk

[11:55 - 14:30]

• Cruise Ship Outbreak: On the MV Hondius near the Canary Islands, an outbreak of Andes hantavirus (rare, deadlier & human-to-human transmissible) resulted in multiple deaths and critical illnesses.
• Virus Family Differences:
  • European/Asian strains: attack kidneys, lower fatality (often under 1%).
  • American/South American strains: attack lungs, up to 40% fatality, hours-to-days time window, no antivirals exist.
  • Andes strain: only hantavirus known to spread human-to-human via respiratory droplets.
  • “Unlike every other hantavirus we know of, [Andes strain] spreads human to human via respiratory droplets... The practical takeaway isn’t to panic. It’s to know what early HPS looks like.” – Dave Asprey (13:10)
• Symptoms to Watch: Rapid-onset fever, deep muscle aches, profound fatigue—act immediately if possibly exposed!
• Travel Biohacks: Dave travels with NAC, zinc, vitamin D; wears N95 in crowded airports.
  • “When you're in an enclosed space with recirculated air, your immune resilience going in is the only variable you actually control.” – Dave Asprey (14:05)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Institutional Delays & Personal Responsibility:
  • “The body you've built before the moment of crisis is the only asset you actually have. That's not a pessimistic take. To me, that's the most motivating thing I've heard all week. Build the body, know the numbers. The institutions will catch up eventually. Your biology can’t wait.” – Dave Asprey (14:56)

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Important Timestamps

• [02:35] Testosterone suppresses brain tumor stem cells; challenge to current oncology paradigms
• [05:00] CDC pauses rabies testing; dangers and immediate action steps
• [07:05] SCOTUS & drug access; implications for telehealth and biohacking
• [08:30] New zoonotic viruses; importance of mucosal immunity
• [11:55] Andes hantavirus cruise outbreak; what makes this virus unique, dangers, and protocols
• [14:30] Dave’s core lesson: Build resilience before you need it

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Takeaways & Action Steps

• Hormone Optimization Is Cancer Prevention: Men over 40 should regularly check total and free testosterone—this is no longer just about performance but about fundamental long-term health.
• Act Fast on Rabies Exposure: Don’t rely on a compromised system. Immediate treatment is non-negotiable.
• Protect Medical & Biohacking Autonomy: Legal precedents affecting one area of medicine often ripple into others. Stay informed, know your state’s laws, and be proactive.
• Biohack Your Immunity Proactively: Focus on sleep, stress management, airway (mucosal) health, and micronutrient sufficiency.
• Have a Travel Resilience Protocol: NAC, zinc, vitamin D, and the right PPE can be game-changers in high-risk, high-density settings.

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Closing Remark

Dave Asprey underscores the significance of building your biological defenses and understanding your body’s metrics as the most pragmatic solution to an increasingly unpredictable world:
“Nobody’s coming to fix it in real-time... Your biology can’t wait.” – Dave Asprey (14:56)

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For the full mastery of the science and latest biohacks, tune in every week for Dave’s actionable roundups.

Transcript

[Dave Asprey]

I'm Dave Asprey.

That's Dave spelled D A I V E. And this is your 10 minute weekly upgrade on the biggest stories in biohacking, longevity and the world of health.

Let's go.

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[Dave Asprey]

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[Dave Asprey]

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[Dave Asprey]

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[Podcast Disclaimer Narrator]

Liberty.

[Dave Asprey]

Liberty. Is pandemic fever back?

Why did we stop testing for rabies and testosterone? Could be the thing standing between you and a brain tumor. This is not a normal week. In health news, We'll start off with this NIH Just published research out of Cleveland Clinic showing that testosterone directly suppresses glioblastoma stem cells. Glioblastoma is the most aggressive brain cancer we know of, roughly 15 months median survival. And what they found was that when testosterone levels were low, it activated androgen receptors in a way that accelerated tumor growth and invasion. When they restored normalty levels, tumor growth dropped 38% and survival improved. The mainstream framing on testosterone in cancer has always been that more T equals more cancer risk. So suppress it, manage it, keep it low. And now here's a Cleveland Clinic study funded by NIH saying the opposite is happening in brain that androgen deprivation actually makes the tumor more aggressive. Oncologists have been using androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer for years, and this should prompt a real conversation about what that's doing to every other cancer pathway simultaneously. The mechanism they found matters. Low T signals the body toward tumor stemness and invasion. Normal T binds those receptors and puts the brakes on. If you're low, it's time to do something about it. Now, I track my total and free testosterone quarterly and I aim for above exceptional levels, not for aesthetics, because hormonal optimization is biological optimization and the downstream effects touch everything from brain function to mitochondria to cancer risk. If you're a man over 40 and you haven't run a full hormone panel in the last six months, this is your wake up call. Get the numbers. This is a cancer conversation now, not just a performance conversation now. This is a head scratcher. The CDC has paused rabies testing nationwide. Also MPOX and Epstein Barr. But rabies is the one that should have your full attention because the timing window on rabies exposure is brutal. Post exposure prophylaxis has to start within roughly 10 days of a bite. After symptoms begin, the fatality rate is essentially 100% and you do not want to die from rabies. Hard to imagine many worse deaths. And now, because state labs are being handed the overflow from a CDC staffing crisis that apparently finally hit a wall, we're looking at diagnostic delays of one to two weeks. Three people die from rabies in the US every year on average. That sounds small until you're the person who got bat bitten at 2am in a rural area and your nearest state lab is backed up for anyone doing outdoor activities, cold plunges, hiking, trail running, anything that puts you near wildlife, bats looking at you, Austin locals, skunks, raccoons. This scenario is not abstract. The protocol if you get bitten is er, that same day. Do not wait. You initiate post exposure treatment immediately and sort out the paperwork later. The window is too short to gamble on a backlogged system, so get your pets vaccinated yearly. And if you're traveling anywhere, rabies is endemic, which is most of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Look into pre exposure prophylaxis before you leave the country. This is one to be preemptive about, guys. Now I want to share this next one without stepping too deep into the moral conversation, but to share the news, the Supreme Court issued a one week stay this past Sunday blocking a fifth Circuit ruling that would have ended mail and telehealth access to mifepristone, a common drug used in over 63% of abortions in the U.S. full briefs were due today and a decision is coming fast. My position on bodily autonomy is consistent regardless of the specific treatment or the politics around it. And what I want this audience to notice is the legal mechanism being used here because it does not stop at reproductive medicine. A court overriding FDA approved medication protocols and restricting telehealth access is a precedent with a very long reach. Compounded peptides and bioidentical hormones. Any treatment that doesn't have the full weight of pharmaceutical lobbying behind it all of it is potentially downstream of whatever logic wins in this case. Telehealth access is health infrastructure. Restricting it is a control mechanism, and the category of things it controls tends to expand over time. Know what's available in your state right now before a ruling changes it. Women who want to understand their options can look at organizations like Aid Access and watch this case closely because the outcome signals something much larger about medical autonomy going forward. Here's a headline that might be getting overshadowed right now. University of Florida researchers just flagged two viruses worth putting on your Influenza D, which lives in cattle herds across the US and a canine coronavirus strain called HUP in 2018 that already jumped to humans in China. Both are mutating fast. Neither has a vaccine. Human population immunity to either one is basically zero. The pattern here matters more than either individual virus. We keep treating zoonotic jumps as surprises, and they keep happening anyway because the conditions that produce them factory farming density, raw animal product consumption, close contact with pets and livestock are not going away. Raw milk has been a big topic in biohacking circles, and I've talked about it a lot. The risk calculus has genuinely shifted with influenza d circulating in U.S. dairy herds. That doesn't mean the answer is never drink raw milk. The answer is know exactly where your milk comes from and what the herd health situation looks like and your dogs keep them from Licking your face. That's just reasonable at this point. The practical response to both of these viruses is building mucosal immunity now before you need it. Zinc, vitamin D, Quality fermented foods, stress management. Your airway lining is your first barrier against respiratory pathogens. And most people's is functionally compromised from poor sleep and chronic stress. Fix that baseline and you're in a much better position. Regardless of which virus makes the jump next.

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[Dave Asprey]

And speaking of viruses making the jump, I'm sure you haven't gone through this week without hearing about this one. There's a cruise ship called the MV Hondius anchored off the Canary Islands. Right now, eight confirmed or suspected cases of Andy's hantavirus. Three people dead, two more in critical condition. The passengers came from 23 countries, which means potential exposure has already dispersed globally through airports and connecting flights before anyone had a diagnosis. Now, hantavirus is not coronavirus. The media is in full pandemic fever mode. And I get it. But let's be precise about what we're dealing with. Hantavirus is rodent borne. You breathe in contaminated dust from infected droppings and. And that's usually the end of the transmission chain. Here's why the death toll looks so different between continents. The strains circulating in Europe and Asia attack the kidneys. You get sick, you're miserable. Fatality rates are under 15% and often under 1%. Your kidneys can be supported. Doctors know how to buy you time. American and South American strains attack the lungs. That's a completely different situation. When your lungs fill with fluid and your oxygen drops your you have hours, not days. No antiviral, no treatment, supportive care, only fatality rate around 40%. That's why you see such different outcomes by geography. Same virus family, completely different organ target, completely different survival odds. The Andes strain adds one more layer on top of that. Unlike every other hantavirus we know of, it spreads human to human via respiratory droplets. That's what turned a rodent exposure in Argentina into a shipboard outbreak. The practical takeaway isn't to panic. It's to know what early HPS looks like. Fever, deep muscle aches, fatigue that comes on fast. And if you or someone you know has any plausible exposure or recent travel connecting to this ship's route, push for urgent care immediately. And say the word hantavirus out loud to the doctor. Don't wait for it to progress. The window between early symptoms and your lungs filling with fluid is short. I travel with NAC, zinc and vitamin D as baseline, I wear an N95 in high density airports. When you're in an enclosed space with recirculated air, your immune resilience going in is the only variable you actually control. So what do we take away from this week? Two of these stories have nothing to do with each other. On the surface, a testosterone study out of Cleveland Clinic and a virus on a ship off the Canary Islands. But they're making the same point. The testosterone research is saying your hormonal environment right now is either suppressing tumor growth or it isn't. The hantavirus story is saying that when you're in that enclosed cabin with recirculated air, your immune resilience either holds or it doesn't. In both cases, nobody's coming to fix it in real time. Not the oncologist who never checked your levels. Not the cdc, not the not the ship's medical staff with no antiviral to give you the body you've built before the moment of crisis is the only asset you actually have. That's not a pessimistic take. To me, that's the most motivating thing I've heard all week. Build the body, know the numbers. The institutions will catch up eventually. Your biology can't wait. See you next time.

All right, guys, that is your weekly biohacking roundup.

Join me again next Friday for another rundown of the biggest health stories in the news.

Enjoy your weekend.

[Podcast Disclaimer Narrator]

The Human Upgrade, formerly Bulletproof Radio, was created and is hosted by Dave Asprey. The information contained in this podcast is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended for the purposes of diagnosing in, treating, curing, or preventing any disease. Before using any products referenced on the podcast, consult with your healthcare provider carefully read all labels, and heed all directions and cautions that accompany the products. Information found or received through the podcast should not be used in place of a consultation or advice from a healthcare provider. If you suspect you have a medical problem or should you have any healthcare questions, please promptly call or see your healthcare provider. This podcast, including Dave Asprey and the producers, disclaim responsibility for any possible adverse effects from the use of information contained herein. Opinions of guests are their own and this podcast does not endorse or accept responsibility for statements made by guests. This podcast does not make any representations or warranties about guest qualifications or credibility. This podcast may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on this podcast may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to herein. This podcast is owned by Bulletproof Media.