Population control, deadly vaccines, and mutant mosquitoes: The construction and circulation of Zika virus conspiracy theories online

Abstract

Background Disease outbreaks are often accompanied by sensationalist news media coverage, social media panic, and a barrage of conspiracy theories and misinformation. The Zika virus outbreak of 2015-2016 followed this pattern. Analysis Drawing on frame analysis, this article examines the construction and circulation of a conspiracy theory concerning the 2015-2016 Zika outbreak, analyzing the flow of misinformation across online platforms including "conspiracy" websites, online discussion threads, and Twitter. Conclusion and implications Conspiracy theories produced and shared on social and digital media platforms have the power to discursively construct contagious diseases such as Zika, which may fuel misguided public perceptions and impact health policy.