Fake Online News Story About Ebola Scares Fort Kent Residents

A satirical story posted on a website about Fort Kent healthcare worker Kaci Hickox has caused the concern of a few in that northern Maine town.

The site called Amplifying Glass posted the phony story titled "The Real Reason Maine Wants Nurse Kaci Hickox In Ebola Quarantine" this past Friday, and according to an article in the Bangor Daily News some people have believed it.

The satirical story tries to explain that people with red hair, freckles and fair skin, otherwise known as "gingers" (according to the story), are more susceptible to Ebola and have a 99% mortality rate.

The article goes on to present a phony quote from Governor Paul Lepage,“I mean, we all know that gingers don’t have a soul, right?”

In the Bangor Daily News article Tom Pelletier, the Fort Kent Chief of Police said, “This is a very disturbing post.  There are people who don’t understand this is a fake news site.”

The Police Chief said that he is receiving calls of concern from local residents. Pelletier said, "When you look at the comments below the story, there are people who say this is satire. But then I get the guy down the road who reads it and does not know the difference and is calling me all worried we have Ebola in town."

The story on Amplifying Glass had made its way through social media over this past weekend.  The Chief went on to say, "“People saw it on Facebook and that made it real.  It is just wrong.”