Hanoi police have found the identities of two people who were spreading rumours that the Ebola virus had reached Vietnam and there were patients of the disease being treated in Hanoi’s Bach Mai Hospital.
The Ebola rumour spread on Facebook
Vu Huong Thao, 23, and Nghiem Thuy Trang, 30, both Hanoi residents were officially accused of posting the false information on their Facebook accounts.
When questioned by police, Thao claimed that she had made the posts in order to warn people in Vietnam about the dangers of the disease, and did not mean to cause a public health scare.
Thao said that she took the information down from Trang's page quickly. The post read, “Ebola has come to Vietnam, and citizens should be aware.” Trang claimed that she had an acquaintance employed at Bach Mai Hospital who told her the rumour was true.
After learning the information was incorrect, Thao said she immediately deleted it, but not before it spread across the internet.
Police stated that Thao and Trang will be responsible for their actions in accordance with the law.
The Ministry of Health has confirmed that the rumour was false, and there have been nor valid reports of Ebola in Vietnam.