Contagion of conspiracy theories makes Ebola epidemic harder to contain
washingtonpost.com
When conspiracy theories spread faster than a virus, they become the epidemic — and this Ebola outbreak in Congo shows exactly how misinformation can make a deadly disease impossible to contain.
Social Contagion TheoryInformation Deficit ModelCollective Action ProblemTrust and Legitimacy Theory
Theory Briefing
- Ebola is spreading through eastern DRC partly because conspiracy theories — like claims that aid workers spread the virus — are driving communities to reject health workers.
- The 'social contagion' of misinformation mirrors the biological contagion of the virus itself, making public trust a literal life-or-death resource.
- Epidemiologists warn that belief systems, not just pathogens, determine outbreak trajectories — a stark real-world test of how narrative and fear shape collective behavior.