There have been only three confirmed cases (and one death) of Ebola in the United States, but a related condition is spreading faster than a California wildfire. Americans nationwide are showing signs of an epidemic of fear, all too reminiscent of the stigmatization, dread of contagion, and moral panic of the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
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Early on in the AIDS epidemic, this kind of anxiety quickly morphed into panic: HIV-infected kids such as Ryan White were banned from schools; employees were fired simply because they were suspected of having AIDS; Washington, D.C., police officers raided a gay bar wearing gloves, face masks and bulletproof vests to protect themselves from what was described then as a “lethal threat.”

Underscoring these latest fears, the term “Fearbola” has quickly made its way into the lexicon, thanks largely to comic Seth Myers, whose segment on “the irrational fear of catching Ebola” went viral last week. Explained a fake doctor in the segment: “It is very easy to contract. Just five minutes of exposure to CNN or Fox News and you might have Fearbola.”