An "Urban legend" of global proportion: an analysis of nonfiction accounts of the Ebola virus.

Using Brunvald's (1981) six criteria of successful urban legends, this study explores nonfiction accounts of the Ebola virus. Focusing particularly on Richard Preston's book The Hot Zone (1994), this study addresses the social construction of the predatorial virus, demonstrating how events are constructed as social problems via media representations, and reality is transformed into legend. The implications of these depictions of the predatorial virus are discussed, along with exploring the effects of mass media reports on health care beliefs and practices. Likewise, implications regarding these stories, cultural beliefs and values are discussed.