From drinking excessive quantities of salt water during the Ebola outbreak to consuming horse urine and cow dung during the COVID-19 pandemic, history has repeatedly demonstrated how misinformation can become a public health threat of its own.
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One of the most memorable examples occurred during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
After Nigeria confirmed Ebola cases, messages circulated widely through text messages and social media claiming that drinking and bathing with large quantities of salt water could prevent infection.
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Nigeria is far from the only country where unusual remedies have emerged during disease outbreaks.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, health authorities across several countries battled widespread misinformation promoting herbal concoctions, chemicals and even animal waste as preventive or curative treatments.
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Health experts say misinformation extends well beyond emerging diseases.
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Common practices [to treat hemorrhoids] include drinking highly concentrated herbal mixtures, inserting herbs, oils or chemicals into the anus, applying kerosene or mentholated ointments directly to affected areas, consuming large quantities of aloe vera preparations and relying on unqualified traditional healers who promise permanent cures.
