Multiple conspiracy theories, hoaxes, and quack cures have circulated about

ebola virus ''Zaire ebolavirus'', more commonly known as Ebola virus (; EBOV), is one of six known species within the genus ''Ebolavirus''. Four of the six known ebolaviruses, including EBOV, cause a severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fever in humans and ot ...

es, regarding the origin of

outbreaks In epidemiology, an outbreak is a sudden increase in occurrences of a disease when cases are in excess of normal expectancy for the location or season. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire ...

, treatments for

ebola virus disease Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease (EVD) and Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is a viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and other primates, caused by ebolaviruses. Symptoms typically start anywhere between two days and three weeks after becom ...

, and preventative measures.

Unproven and disproven treatments

During the

Western African Ebola virus epidemic The 2013–2016 epidemic of Ebola virus disease, centered in Western Africa, was the most widespread outbreak of the disease in history. It caused major loss of life and socioeconomic disruption in the region, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and S ...

(2013-2016), a number of unproven and fake treatments were marketed online in the United States, including snake venom, vitamin C, " Nano Silver", and various

homeopathic Homeopathy or homoeopathy is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine. It was conceived in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Its practitioners, called homeopaths, believe that a substance that causes symptoms of a dise ...

and herbal remedies, including clove oil, garlic, and ewedu soup. Gary Coody, national health fraud coordinator for the

FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food s ...

, described the purveyors of these unproven treatments as "like storm-chasing roofers, who go and try to defraud people after a big storm. Some of them may be making an honest mistake; other companies are trying to rip people off." Coody also said the problem with implausible and unproven remedies is not only that they are unlikely to work, but also that such treatments may lead to patients delaying effective and timely medical care in a hospital setting.

Implausible and disproven methods for preventing Ebola

During the 2014 and 2019 outbreaks, a number of hoax remedies for the prevention of Ebola were spread online. One such common thread was the frequent use of

essential oils An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...

. There is no evidence that any of these treatments will decrease the risk of Ebola virus infection, and no known plausible mechanisms for such an effect.

Virus origins

During the 2014 outbreak in Liberia, an article in the ''

Liberian Observer The ''Liberian Observer'' or ''Daily Observer Newspaper'' is a newspaper published in Liberia. Based in Monrovia, The Liberian Observer Corporation was founded by Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Y. Best in 1981. An independent newspaper, it states that its ...

'' alleged that the virus was a bioweapon designed by the US military as a form of

population control Population control is the practice of artificially maintaining the size of any population. It simply refers to the act of limiting the size of an animal population so that it remains manageable, as opposed to the act of protecting a species from ...

. Other theories spreading online during the pandemic alleged that the New World Order had engineered the virus to impose quarantines and travel bans to soften an eventual descent into martial law. During a 2019 outbreak in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

, rumors spread that the virus was imported to the country for financial gain, or as part of a plot to procure organs for the

black market A black market, underground economy, or shadow economy is a clandestine market or series of transactions that has some aspect of illegality or is characterized by noncompliance with an institutional set of rules. If the rule defines the se ...

References

{{Misinformation 2014 hoaxes Alternative medicine Biological warfare Communication of falsehoods Conspiracy theories Disinformation operations Fake news Medical-related conspiracy theories Misinformation Pseudohistory Pseudoscience Vaccine hesitancy Ebola in popular culture