title: Zika virus pandemic-analysis of Facebook as a social media health information platform.
abstract: The arrival of Zika virus in the United States has generated a lot of activity on social media focusing on the algorithmic increase in the spread of the disease and its concerning complications. Accurate and credible dissemination of correct information about the arbovirus could help in decreasing the pandemic spread and associated apprehension in the population. Our study examined the effective use of the social media site Facebook (Facebook Inc, Menlo Park, CA) as an information source for the Zika virus pandemic. We found that the misleading posts were far more popular than the posts dispersing accurate, relevant public health information about the disease.
authors: Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd, Wauwatosa, WI. Electronic address: msharma@mcw.edu.
authors: Megha
authors: M
authors: Sharma
authors: Division of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA.
authors: Kapil
authors: K
authors: Yadav
authors: Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA.
authors: Nitika
authors: N
authors: Yadav
authors: Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA.
authors: Keith C
authors: KC
authors: Ferdinand
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D058873:Pandemics; D061108:Social Media; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D000071243:Zika Virus Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Conspiracy theory; Epidemic; Public health; Viral