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The Ebola panic has escalated to unreasonable levels, with many people obsessing over worst-case scenarios instead of considering more probable outcomes. However, when compared to some of the bizarre conspiracy theories circulating about the disease, the media's alarmism almost seems justified.
10. The U.S. Created Ebola
In September, Delaware State University professor Cyril Broderick wrote a letter in Liberia’s Daily Observer accusing the U.S. government of creating the Ebola virus. Broderick claims that the virus is a genetically engineered organism, which the U.S. allegedly weaponized and tested in Africa under the pretense of providing vaccines. He also implicates Canada, the U.K., and France, suggesting they collaborated with the U.S., with the WHO and the UN involved as well.
Broderick largely cites Leonard Horowitz, a vocal critic of vaccination, who also claims that American scientists were responsible for creating AIDS. Broderick additionally references a speculative conspiracy article and the book The Hot Zone, which is a credible nonfiction work that does not substantiate his allegations.
Delaware State chose not to fire or penalize Broderick for his outrageous and irresponsible statements. Instead, the University affirmed that the professor is entitled to his personal views outside of his academic duties. However, they were quick to clarify that they do not support his letter and that he lacks expertise on the matter.
9. The Ebola Virus Is a Fabrication
A former nurse sparked a violent riot at a Sierra Leone hospital after a crowd overheard her claim that the Ebola virus doesn’t exist. According to her, the outbreak was merely a cover for doctors to engage in cannibalistic rituals at the hospital.
Convincing the crowd was easy. In Sierra Leone and neighboring countries, there’s a deep mistrust of hospitals. Many people prefer traditional healers over foreign doctors and nurses. One woman, infected with Ebola, was taken by her family from a treatment center to a local healer. Despite efforts to find her, she passed away en route to the hospital in an ambulance.
By late July, the violence intensified as more individuals began to buy into the conspiracy. People started threatening to burn down clinics and forcibly remove Ebola patients. With Sierra Leone leading the region in Ebola cases, police had to guard the main hospital in Kenema. The authorities fired tear gas into the crowd and accidentally shot a nine-year-old boy.
The situation also caused Samaritan’s Purse, a health organization, to suspend its outreach efforts in the area. Their workers had been attacked by locals while trying to transport a patient.
8. Saltwater is believed to cure Ebola
The spread of false cures has been a concern in various regions of Nigeria. One such claim involved drinking saltwater, which, rather than offering any healing benefits, can lead to severe dehydration and even death. At least four individuals lost their lives after attempting to protect themselves from Ebola by consuming saltwater, despite being far from any outbreak.
The World Health Organization has issued a stern warning against seeking treatments that are not provided by licensed healthcare professionals. They particularly caution against trusting remedies found on social media platforms. Instead, patients are urged to seek help from health centers and qualified doctors.
Despite these warnings, many in the affected areas are deeply skeptical of doctors, dismissing their advice as untruthful. One individual even told the Wall Street Journal that, because he had never witnessed anyone dying from the disease firsthand, it must simply be a baseless rumor.
7. Divine Retribution
In July, more than 100 Christian leaders gathered in Monrovia, Liberia's capital, to discuss their approach to the Ebola crisis. After a day of discussions, the group unanimously concluded that God's anger had brought Ebola to Liberia as a plague to punish the nation.
The group believed that Liberia's corruption, including the sin of homosexuality, was the reason for God's wrath. They proposed that the country respond with three days of fasting and prayer. They suggested the government should close for the duration of the observance.
Sheikh Salah Sheriff, the chief imam of Salafia Mosque in Liberia, voiced similar thoughts. He attributed the Ebola outbreak to serious sins like homosexuality, fornication, adultery, armed robbery, general wickedness, and disrespect for authorities—all considered severe offenses against Allah. While he acknowledged the importance of medical advice, he stressed that to truly overcome Ebola, Liberians must 'fear God rather than the virus.'
6. Witchcraft
A rumor circulating in parts of West Africa is that witchcraft is the cause of Ebola. This belief leads many to view the disease as an inevitable supernatural fate, even though medical treatment can help control its spread and, in some cases, save lives.
For instance, when Doctors Without Borders brought two sick sisters to a hospital in eastern Guinea in July, both had completely lost hope. Neither attempted to fight the disease, instead lying motionless, awaiting death. However, Rose, the 12-year-old daughter of one of the sisters, did not believe in witchcraft. She remained optimistic, assuring her mother and aunt that they could all survive, and made sure they followed the doctors’ instructions. They all recovered, a far better outcome than most.
An additional consequence of the irrational fear surrounding Ebola is the unwarranted social isolation of those affected. Hospitalized patients, particularly children, should ideally have regular visits from their families. However, due to the fear of the disease, family members often hesitate to visit, even when doctors urge them to do so.
Meanwhile, the deep-rooted belief in witchcraft continues to hinder efforts to contain Ebola. Some individuals refuse medical treatment, convinced that witches and sorcerers are responsible for the deaths, rather than accepting the scientific reality of a virus causing the outbreak.
5. The Claim That Doctors Are Deliberately Infecting People With Ebola
In certain villages, people don't just believe doctors are ineffective in fighting the disease. They actually believe doctors are intentionally spreading it, leading them to avoid or even confront medical professionals trying to help. This irrational fear may have arisen from cases where patients visiting hospitals for unrelated medical issues ended up contracting fatal diseases while there.
In the most extreme situations, villagers have threatened to kill any medical personnel attempting to treat the sick. In Kolo Bengou, Guinea, residents went so far as to block roads with logs, preventing Doctors Without Borders from entering. This resistance contributed to the further spread of the disease.
Ongoing rumors about the healing powers of witch doctors also contribute to the public's mistrust of real medical professionals, thus hindering the effectiveness of actual treatments.
4. It Began with a Malevolent Snake
One legend speaks of a woman carrying a bag at the Guinea-Sierra Leone border. When someone opened it, they found a snake inside. Upon seeing it, the woman died instantly. The person who had opened the bag soon followed, and the snake slithered into the nearby bush. This story marks the moment when Ebola is said to have entered Sierra Leone.
Interestingly, this strange tale aligns with part of the actual history of Ebola. The outbreak is believed to have begun in Guinea before spreading to Sierra Leone.
Those who subscribe to the myth of the Ebola snake argue that the individuals showing symptoms are not suffering from a virus, but are instead under a curse.
3. The Ebola Crisis Will Usher in the New World Order
One of the most bizarre conspiracy theories claims that the New World Order elite deliberately created the Ebola virus as a tool for reducing the Earth's population. According to this theory, the number of people who must die to achieve a ‘manageable population’ is an alarming five billion.
This outlandish conspiracy posits that the New World Order elite have three main strategies for ensuring depopulation: famine caused by unsustainable development, wars instigated through artificial conflict, and engineered diseases. The cure for these diseases is said to be controlled solely by the elite.
The elite are alleged to have created the Ebola outbreak as a means of eliminating people from Africa, with plans to target the rest of the world next. The news of Ebola reaching the US and claiming a life in Dallas only intensified the belief in this theory.
2. The Ebola Bomb
Dr. Peter Walsh, a biological anthropologist from the University of Cambridge, warns that terrorists could potentially create bombs filled with a powdered version of the Ebola virus. According to Walsh, such a device could cause mass casualties in a major British city. This concern seems especially pressing in the UK, as there are few other reasons to believe the disease would spread there.
In truth, while bioterrorism is always a concern, it’s unclear why any terrorist would choose Ebola over other diseases to weaponize. Unlike many viruses, Ebola is neither airborne nor waterborne, making it far less contagious than most other infectious agents.
1. Ebola Is Spread by White Demon Worshipers
This image appeared on a Nigerian website in September, accompanied by a story that seems to merge the most alarming elements of several Ebola-related rumors.
The anime-style nurse holding the skull is called 'Ebola-Chan,' according to the website. It claims that cults in Europe and America venerate her as a goddess. These cults supposedly conduct blood sacrifices at altars to Ebola-Chan, consuming the hearts of victims. In exchange for their devotion, the goddess is said to spread Ebola across Africa. The cult also allegedly includes doctors who deliberately infect patients with the virus while pretending to treat them.
The post didn’t come from a concerned Nigerian, as it falsely suggested, but from a user on the 4Chan image board, where Ebola-Chan is a meme. When users encounter Ebola-Chan, they are expected to say 'thank you, Ebola-Chan' and joke about the extermination of all Africans.
It’s unclear whether anyone in Nigeria believed the website's story, but nearly every Internet hoax manages to deceive someone.
