VERDICT: MIXED
The 2025 DRC Ebola outbreak is real and verified by WHO, but has been accompanied by dangerous misinformation. Claims that salt water, onions, or traditional remedies can cure Ebola are FALSE and potentially deadly. Myths about transmission via air or 5G are FALSE. However, community distrust of health workers - while often misdirected - stems from legitimate historical grievances that deserve acknowledgment.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has experienced its 17th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified in 1976. WHO has documented the ongoing outbreak response while warning of the persistent "infodemic" that accompanies disease outbreaks in the region. [1]
This report examines five categories of misinformation: false cures, transmission myths, conspiracy theories, distrust of responders, and correct prevention information. Each claim is evaluated against WHO guidelines, peer-reviewed research, and fact-checking organizations operating in Africa.
The Outbreak: What We Know
The DRC has been the epicenter of Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first identified near the Ebola River in 1976. According to the WHO, the country has experienced more Ebola outbreaks than any other nation. [2]
Key facts about Ebola virus disease:
- Case fatality rate: 25-90% depending on strain and medical care
- Average fatality: ~50% historically
- Transmission: Direct contact with infected bodily fluids
- NOT transmitted: Through air, water, or food (when properly handled)
- Treatments: Supportive care and approved therapeutics (Inmazeb, Ebanga)
The WHO AFRO regional office has deployed rapid response teams and vaccination campaigns during each outbreak. [3]
| Claim | Verdict | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Salt water/brine can cure or prevent Ebola | FALSE | WHO, Africa Check |
| Raw onions or garlic cure Ebola | FALSE | CDC, WHO |
| Ebola spreads through the air like flu | FALSE | WHO, CDC |
| Health workers are spreading Ebola deliberately | FALSE | MSF, WHO |
| Ebola vaccines are experimental and unsafe | MISLEADING | FDA, EMA, WHO |
| Traditional healers can cure Ebola | FALSE | Lancet, WHO |
| Ebola is a Western bioweapon/plot | FALSE | Nature, CDC |
| Community distrust affects outbreak response | TRUE | PLOS, Lancet |
Dangerous False Cures
Among the most dangerous misinformation are claims about home remedies that can supposedly cure or prevent Ebola. These claims have led to preventable deaths. [5]
Salt Water / Brine Myth
The Claim: "Drinking salt water or bathing in brine can prevent or cure Ebola infection."
The Facts: This is completely false and potentially dangerous. During the 2014 West Africa outbreak, at least two people died in Nigeria after drinking excessive salt water based on this rumor. WHO has explicitly stated there is no evidence that salt water has any effect on Ebola virus. [2]
High salt intake can cause hypernatremia, leading to seizures, coma, and death - adding danger to an already deadly situation.
Onion and Garlic Claims
The Claim: "Eating raw onions, garlic, or specific herbs can cure Ebola."
The Facts: The CDC confirms there is no food, herb, or supplement that can treat Ebola virus disease. While onions and garlic have some antimicrobial properties against certain bacteria, they have zero effect on viral hemorrhagic fevers like Ebola. [4]
People who rely on false cures instead of seeking medical care are more likely to die AND more likely to spread the virus to family members during home care.
Only approved treatments: Supportive care (IV fluids, electrolyte management), Inmazeb (FDA approved 2020), and Ebanga (FDA approved 2020) have demonstrated efficacy. [4]
Transmission Myths
Misunderstanding how Ebola spreads has led to both unnecessary fear and insufficient precautions.
Airborne Transmission Myth
The Claim: "Ebola can spread through the air like the flu or COVID-19."
The Facts: Ebola is NOT airborne. WHO and CDC confirm it spreads only through direct contact with: [2]
- Blood or body fluids of infected people
- Objects contaminated with body fluids (needles, medical equipment)
- Infected fruit bats or primates
- Semen (can persist for months after recovery)
This myth causes unnecessary panic but can also lead people to ignore actual transmission routes like caring for sick family members without protection.
Water/Food Transmission Myth
The Claim: "Ebola spreads through water supplies or contaminated food."
The Facts: Ebola does not spread through properly treated water or food that has been properly cooked. The primary concern with food is bushmeat (wild animal meat) that may come from infected animals. [4]
Conspiracy Theories
Perhaps the most damaging misinformation involves conspiracy theories that undermine the entire public health response.
"Ebola is a Western Plot"
The Claim: "Ebola was created in a Western laboratory as a bioweapon to depopulate Africa."
The Facts: Genetic analysis published in Nature and other journals has traced the evolutionary history of Ebola viruses back decades in fruit bat populations across Central Africa. There is no scientific evidence of laboratory origin. [12]
The first known Ebola outbreaks occurred simultaneously in 1976 in what is now South Sudan and the DRC, linked to natural zoonotic spillover events.
"Health Workers Are Spreading Ebola"
The Claim: "Foreign health workers and Ebola treatment centers are actually spreading the disease, not treating it."
The Facts: This false belief has led to violent attacks on health workers and treatment facilities. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) documented numerous attacks during DRC outbreaks, with health workers killed and facilities burned. [10]
The tragic irony: People who avoid treatment centers are more likely to die and spread infection to family members caring for them at home.
While conspiracy theories are factually false, the distrust underlying them often has real historical roots:
- Colonial medical experiments in Africa
- Decades of conflict and foreign intervention in DRC
- Poverty and lack of access to healthcare
- Cultural practices around death and burial disrupted by outbreak protocols
Effective response requires addressing these concerns, not dismissing communities as "ignorant." [13]
Vaccine Misinformation
Claims about Ebola vaccines have complicated vaccination campaigns that are critical to containing outbreaks.
The Claim: "Experimental and Unsafe"
The Claim: "Ebola vaccines are experimental and untested, being used on Africans as guinea pigs."
The Facts: This is misleading. The rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine (Ervebo) underwent extensive clinical trials involving over 16,000 people before WHO prequalification in 2019 and FDA approval in 2019. [2]
The vaccine has shown 97.5% efficacy in preventing Ebola infection and has been administered to hundreds of thousands of people in DRC and neighboring countries. [3]
Historical Context
The concern about "experimentation" is not baseless - it reflects real historical abuses. However, modern Ebola vaccines have been tested according to international ethical standards with informed consent, independent oversight, and participation from African researchers and institutions. [6]
What Actually Works: Prevention
Countering misinformation requires providing accurate information. Here is what WHO and CDC recommend for Ebola prevention: [2] [4]
- Avoid contact with blood and body fluids of sick people
- Do not handle items that may have contacted infected blood/fluids
- Avoid funeral/burial rituals involving contact with Ebola victims' bodies
- Avoid contact with bats and nonhuman primates
- Do not eat bushmeat from potentially infected animals
- Wash hands frequently with soap and water
- Get vaccinated if offered during outbreak response
- Seek immediate medical care if symptoms develop
Fighting the Infodemic
WHO has developed "infodemic management" strategies specifically for disease outbreaks, recognizing that misinformation can be as deadly as the disease itself. [15]
Key strategies include:
- Community engagement: Working with local leaders, not just imposing external protocols
- Rumor tracking: Monitoring social media and community conversations for emerging false claims
- Rapid response: Addressing misinformation quickly before it spreads
- Cultural sensitivity: Adapting safe burial practices to respect traditions where possible
- Transparency: Being honest about what is known and unknown
Research published in PLOS Medicine found that community trust was the single biggest factor in outbreak response effectiveness. [13]
Conclusion
The 2025 DRC Ebola outbreak, like previous outbreaks, is accompanied by a dangerous parallel epidemic of misinformation. Our verdict is MIXED because:
- The outbreak is real - confirmed by WHO, CDC, and independent observers
- False cures are deadly - salt water, onions, and traditional remedies do not work
- Transmission myths are false - Ebola is not airborne and does not spread through water
- Conspiracy theories are false - but the distrust they reflect has real historical roots
- Vaccines are safe - but concerns about historical exploitation are understandable
Effective outbreak response requires not just correcting false claims but building trust with affected communities - a lesson that applies to health emergencies worldwide.
For authoritative information, consult the WHO Disease Outbreak News and CDC Ebola resources.