Prepare for a wild ride of misinformation and false claims! One post that went viral featured a fake screenshot of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) account on X (formerly Twitter) declaring an Ebola outbreak in Black Rock City, Nevada, where the festival is happening.
While some people are clearly just trolling or joking around, it’s alarming to see how many users actually believe these fabricated claims. Even the account behind an anti-vaxxer COVID conspiracy documentary chimed in, suggesting that the supposed Ebola outbreak was a calculated operation by our own government.
Let’s set the record straight: these claims are completely false, and health authorities have not issued any warnings about an Ebola outbreak at Burning Man.
Thankfully, X has taken steps to address the confusion by adding Community Notes to some of the misleading posts. These notes aim to clear things up, stating, “Whether it was deliberate misinformation or just a Twitter/X joke that got out of hand, there are apparently people who believe this. It’s not true.”
However, if you search “Ebola” or “Burning Man” on X, you’ll be bombarded with jokes and false claims about the supposed outbreak. It’s nearly impossible to distinguish between satire and misinformation, especially since X’s recent changes have made it easier for anyone to obtain an official-looking blue tick for just a few dollars a month.
What is Ebola and how does it spread?
Now, let’s address the likelihood of Ebola spreading at Burning Man. The chances are incredibly slim. Ebola is a virus that primarily spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, such as blood, vomit, diarrhea, urine, breast milk, sweat, and semen.
This disease is endemic to East-Central and West Africa. Although there have been isolated cases in other countries, these instances usually involve infected individuals, often healthcare and aid workers, traveling from the affected region. Ebola rarely gains a foothold outside its endemic area, where strong protocols and robust healthcare systems are in place.
While deadly tropical diseases aren’t a concern at Burning Man, the situation over the weekend was far from ideal. An unexpected rainstorm turned the arid desert into a muddy mess, trapping approximately 72,000 festival-goers and forcing organizers to advise people to seek shelter and ration their food. Sadly, there has been one reported death, although Burning Man Communications have clarified that it was unrelated to the weather.
Amidst the chaos, however, there is a glimmer of new life. The unusual downpour replenished the black rock desert with freshwater, leading to the emergence of fascinating creatures like “dinosaur shrimp” and other crustaceans that had been lying dormant in the bone-dry ground.
