title: Virtual plagues and real-world pandemics: reflecting on the potential for online computer role-playing games to inform real world epidemic research.
abstract: In the wake of the Corrupted Blood incident, which afflicted the massively multiplayer online computer role-playing game World of Warcraft in 2005, it has been suggested that both, the incident itself and massively multiplayer online computer role-playing games in general, can be utilised to inform and assist real-world epidemic and public health research. In this paper, I engage critically with these claims.
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oultram
mesh_terms: D058872:Epidemics; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D058873:Pandemics; D010930:Plague; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods*; D012106:Research; D012381:Role Playing; D018910:Video Games
keywords: History; Popular media; Public health