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False claims of an Ebola outbreak in Burning Man, propagated by conspiracy theorists, sparked massive panic after severe flooding left 73,000 people stranded in the Nevada desert.
Festival-goers were hit by torrential rain this weekend during a ‘post-apocalyptic style’ event, with many describing being ‘trapped’ at the site. No deaths have been reported.
To add to the panic, people took to social media claiming there had been an outbreak of Ebola at the concert.
The disease – which causes a high fever, headache, diarrhea or vomiting – can be deadly and killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa between 2014 and 2016.
Accounts on X, formerly known as Twitter, have posted fake screenshots of alerts issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warning of a suspected outbreak.
People leave the beach near the site of Burning Man in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada following torrential rain.
A post on X triggered mass hysteria. It claimed to show a CDC advisory warning of an Ebola outbreak in Nevada.
The message read: “Ebola outbreak confirmed in Black Rock City, NV. It is recommended that all Burning Man attendees stay home until further notice. The current state of emergency is ongoing.
It has since been deleted and X has added community notes to any other posts stating that it was misinformation.
Widespread hysteria has now spread over the outbreak, with many people taking these false claims seriously.
One article even doctored a Forbes article, claiming the outbreak was true. X has since added a note stating that this is a false claim.
Another account said: “If the Ebola outbreak at the Burning Man Festival is confirmed, you can be sure it was a planned and calculated operation by our own government. »
Another user claimed to have tested positive for Ebola after attending the festival on Saturday.
There is no evidence that anyone at Burning Man contracted Ebola.
Burning Man is set on prehistoric Lake Lahontan, which is a dry lake bed – colloquially known as playa. The ground is made up of an alkaline dust, which normally causes people to cough with a “pulmonary playa”.
Rains have swamped the Nevada desert, turning dust to clay in recent days, meaning around 73,000 revelers are trapped until the landscape dries up.
An isolated death was confirmed by the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday and officials said it occurred “during this bout of rain,” but it’s unclear if it’s related to the flooding. and they gave few other details.
Martha Diaz of California walks along a muddy road in Burning Man, carrying bags of platform shoes.
An X account faked a Forbes article, claiming the outbreak was true. X has since added a note stating that this is a false claim.
“As this death is still under investigation, no further information is available at this time,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement late Saturday.
Campers saw their tents and structures destroyed by the driving rain, leaving many tired, wet and muddy over the weekend.
Ebola rumors have now stoked hysteria, all the more serious as the festival is so isolated and disconnected from medical assistance.
Despite the chaos, hedonistic crowds took advantage of the situation by organizing slides and other typical Burning Man activities.
Thousands of Burning Man attendees trudged through sloppy mud on Saturday – many barefoot or carrying plastic bags on their feet – as storm-induced flooding swept through the Nevada desert.
About six inches of rain reportedly fell Friday at the festival site, located about 110 miles north of Reno, the Reno National Weather Service said.
To make matters worse, revelers are suffering from hypothermia after unprecedented storms swept away the festival.
Organizers urged festival-goers already there to “save food, water and fuel, and take shelter in a warm, safe space.”