PRESS RELEASE: Rumors of Ebola outbreak at Burning Man are false; NETEC encourages health care agencies to combat misinformation, continue to practice infection prevention and control best practices
Share this article
PRESS RELEASE
Rumors of Ebola outbreak at Burning Man are false; NETEC encourages health care agencies to combat misinformation, continue to practice infection prevention and control best practices
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9/6/2023
Experts from the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) advise that rumors circulating on social media of an Ebola outbreak at the Burning Man Music Festival in Black Rock City, Nevada are false. NETEC encourages health care agencies to rely upon verified public health information sources, like the CDC Current Outbreak List, for the most up-to-date information on current and future outbreaks and to continue to implement infection prevention and control best practices within their facilities, as usual.
While severe weather resulted in flooding and road closures in and around the festival over the weekend, no evidence of an outbreak of Ebola or any other high-consequence infectious disease among the attendees has emerged. On September 4, Burning Man organizers posted an official statement (Burning Man, Accessed 2025, https://burningman.org/event/wetplaya2023/) on their website indicating that “the online rumors of transmissible illnesses in Black Rock City are unfounded and untrue.”
Further, a public information officer for the Bureau of Land Management, which oversees the Black Rock Desert site of the festival, said in a statement to indy100 that “I can confirm the event entrance was closed for the year because unusual rainfall caused muddy conditions where there was a full stop on vehicles, and not for an Ebola outbreak. We have heard no information of any participants with Ebola.”
NETEC encourages health care agencies to combat the spread of misinformation about high-consequence infectious diseases by sharing verified public health information where appropriate and advises clinicians to remain focused on the implementation of identify, isolate, and inform strategies to reduce potential exposures to all transmissible illnesses within their facilities.
“The spread of misinformation regarding Ebola and similar high-consequence infectious diseases can contribute to a sense of panic that complicates an already difficult situation,” said NETEC Co-Principal Investigator, Dr. Aneesh Mehta, MD.
“Investing in special pathogens preparedness, including the monitoring of special pathogens threats based on reliable information, is among the most effective ways to keep our health care workforce and our communities safe. For health care agencies that need support in advancing their preparedness for special pathogens, NETEC offers free training, resources, and direct consultation to help ensure that clinicians can safely and effectively care for patients infected by high-consequence infectious diseases,” said Dr. Mehta.
NETEC provides free expert consultation, technical support, and clinical resources for frontline clinicians, researchers, and health care agencies, including resources on PPE, infection prevention, and waste management, and specialized guidance for EMS professionals, researchers, and more. Clinicians can access NETEC’s services through the online service request portal, by emailing info@netec.org, or by visiting netec.org.
There have been no confirmed cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the United States since 2014. The most recent international EVD outbreak, which occurred in Uganda, ended in January 2023.
###
WORD COUNT: 456 words
MEDIA CONTACT: Nichole Huff, Senior Director of Communications
Email: nichole.huff@netec.org
Phone: 347-835-7421 (Mobile)
ABOUT NETEC
Established in 2015 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) following the successful treatment of Ebola patients in 2014, NETEC’s mission is to set the gold standard for special pathogen preparedness and response across health systems in the U.S. with the goals of driving best practices, closing knowledge gaps, and developing innovative resources.
NETEC leverages the unique expertise, resources, and experience of regional partners and federal agencies to assess health care facility readiness, train providers, provide technical assistance and build a rapid research infrastructure to combat emerging special pathogens, building a sustainable infrastructure and culture of readiness for managing suspected and confirmed special pathogen incidents across the United States public health and health care delivery systems. Visit netec.org for more information.