9 Ebola Myths That Could Dramatically Affect How We Can Stop It

Ebola is a highly-infectious, extremely painful disease with a high death rate. But you probably won't get it. If you look at the man or woman sat next to you, and imagine they had Ebola, you still probably won't catch it, unless you get pretty intimately acquainted. But because of the tragic reach of the disease across west Africa and one infection in Spain, myths about the disease are spreading faster than the actual virus.

And myths can have tragic consequences. Medical staff have been attacked in rural villages in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia by those who suspect them of deliberately spreading the disease. Calls to shut down airports will have dramatic consequences on aid workers trying to get personnel, medicine and equipment to stop the spread.

So here are 9 myths about Ebola, and why you should challenge them:

READ MORE

• Ebola Symptoms: Why No One In Britain Clearly Has The Disease Yet

• Pressure Mounts For UK Airport Screenings For Ebola As US Rolls Out Checks

• Ebola Patient Thomas Eric Duncan, First To Be Diagnosed In US, Dies In Texas Hospital

• Texas Man Under Observation After Potential Ebola Exposure

• Ebola 'Hysteria' Forces School To Cancel Charity Visit By Sierra Leone Mother And Child