InfoWars and others spread lies about migrants who brought Ebola to the United States, officials confirm that they lie / Boing Boing

Extremalists lined up on Trump are actively spreading misinformation online this week on the theme "Immigrants are carrying Ebola in the United States". Officials say that Alex Jones' amplified plot of Infowars, Gateway Pundit and other members of the right is "patently false".

"Unfounded rumors that asylum seekers crossing the southern border have been infected with the Ebola virus have so caught the attention of social media this week that Texas officials held a press conference on Tuesday. to dispel false reports, "writes Salvador Hernandez, a BuzzFeed News reporter:

Rumors about people in the Congo infected with the potentially deadly virus have been circulating on social media for days of prominent conservative, all-right and white supremacist figures. On Tuesday, San Antonio officials denounced misinformation after the publication of unfounded reports on the Infowars and Gateway Pundit conspiracy theory websites, implying that Ebola-infected immigrants roamed the streets from the city.

"It's a bit much noise for nothing," said Colleen Bridger, assistant to the city manager and director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. "All the rumors that they carry the Ebola virus or are at risk of becoming so are obviously wrong."

About 250 asylum-seeking family units from Central Africa have crossed the border near San Antonio since June 4, Bridger said, including migrants from Congo and Angola. None of them showed signs of the virus or was designated for the virus during her health screenings, she said.

The rumor spread quickly on Monday after the newspaper owned by Alex Jones had said in a headline: "US cities are overwhelmed by the number of illegal immigrants from countries hit by the Ebola virus."

An Infowars reporter also visited a temporary immigration center at the San Antonio Resource Center to follow rumors about the virus. The Infowars reporter turned on his camera inside the shelter against the request of those who run the center. He was removed from the group after suffering a "commotion," Bridger said.

Right-wing figures say that immigrants bring Ebola to the United States. Officials say it's "patently false". [buzzfeednews.com]

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