The recent outbreaks of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and hantavirus on a cruise ship have sparked a wave of conspiracy theories in the United States. Experts say the rapid spread of such ideas is driven by the growing influence of social media and artificial intelligence.
Ebola, described by the World Health Organization as posing a 'very high' risk at the national level in the DRC, is being linked online to bioweapons, financial plots, and schemes to extract national resources. Meanwhile, the hantavirus outbreak, which killed three passengers and infected at least 11, has prompted theories involving crisis actors, Covid vaccines, and even Israeli false flag operations.
Dr Joseph Uscinski, a political science professor at the University of Miami, notes that conspiracy theories are a normal response to major events. 'If people are paying attention to something, so are people who are conspiracy-minded,' he said. Theories about hantavirus and Ebola mirror those seen during Covid, Aids, and earlier outbreaks, often blaming vaccines or accusing governments of orchestrating a 'plandemic' to sway elections.
Right-wing outlets and influencers have been particularly active. The Gateway Pundit described hantavirus as 'another plandemic' aimed at influencing midterm elections, while Infowars hosts suggested the virus could be used to justify a new vaccine. However, Uscinski points out that conspiracy theorists span the political spectrum, united by distrust of establishment powers.
The WHO has proposed using the experimental antiviral obeldesivir to prevent Ebola among contacts, but such measures are often met with scepticism by those who view official narratives with suspicion.
