Most conspiracy theories are harmless,but rumours that GM mosquitoes may inadvertently have caused Brazil’s epidemic could potentially cost livesConspiracy theories are not unlike viruses. Mostly they circulate harmlessly on the fringes of society, but every now and then a mutation for increased transmissibility can lead to a mainstream outbreak with seriously damaging consequences in the genuine world. It’s ironic then that a conspiracy theory about a genuine virus - the Zika epidemic currently affecting Brazil - is currently exhibiting just such demolish-out behaviour. The first outing I can find came via an obscure post on Reddit on 25 January. The location should have rung warning bells: it was in a sub-Reddit category titled “conspiracies”, and sandwiched between 9/11 truther rants,and was written anonymously under the giveaway pseudonym “redditsucksatbanning”.
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Source: theguardian.com