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  • 2016-05-25 (xsd:date)
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  • American Immunity to the Zika Virus (en)
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  • Several conspiracy theories were offered up around the Zika virus in 2016 as the disease spread across South America, then the rest of the world. One of the most outlandish of these rumors, the claim that Americans are immune to the virus, was posited on Twitter in May 2016: No scientific body, whether it is from the United States or anywhere else in the world, has reached the conclusion that Americans are immune to the Zika virus (nor is there any scientific reason U.S. citizens could be immune). In fact, the Center for Disease Control has issued a warning to any American traveling to destinations such as Mexico, Central America, or the Pacific Islands: Hundreds of people in the United States have already been infected by the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 500 Americans have already contracted the disease, and researchers at the annual meeting of the Global Virus Network warned that disease will likely become a permanent part of American life, as with West Nile Virus: On 24 May 2016, researchers from Johns Hopkins University, George Washington University, and the University of Georgia published a study in the scientific journal Vaccine that examined Zika-related conspiracy theories. While claims that Americans are immune to the virus were not specifically addressed, the researchers did warn that misinformation on the internet could prove to be a significant health hazard: Researchers recommended taking swift action to debunk unscientific conspiracy theories around Zika and other viruses in order to make sure that future vaccine campaigns — once the vaccine is developed — are effective. (en)
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