Was There an Ebola Outbreak at Burning Man 2023?

The truth about Ebola and Burning Man 2023.

Burning Man 2023. Where do we begin? Mass hysteria. Extreme conditions. Torrential downpours. Perennial doom. And to top it all off, Ebola. That pesky little pathogen. The insufferable malaise, internal bleeding, and organ failure. Although the guestlist faux pas began with Ebola, there were other casualties — from the Bubonic Plague to the bogyman, Santa Clause to the Tooth Fairy, and a bumbling Chris Rock and Diplo, both barefoot and rattling chains, bemoaning what they thought would be Coachella.

Obviously, there’s no Ebola at Burning Man. Burners are fine. They “live for this.” In their words, “Burners are the most radically self-reliant people on the planet.” Duh!

Although media companies like CNN, MSNBC, and Fox circulated a sensationalized interpretation of the sprinkle, the National Guard did not make an appearance at Black Rock City. For the most part, people hunkered down, vibed, conserved food and water, walked barefoot through the mud, and maybe lost a bike here and there. Although it seldom rains in the desert, nor has it ever rained during an actual Burning Man event, it does rain. In a communique put forth by the state of Nevada in 2021 (completely unrelated to Burning Man), climate change stipulations include increased rainfall, rising temperatures, and more volatile weather — all symptoms of the inexorable evolution of our world, scenarios the Burning Man Project was prepared for in the spirit of its core principles.

The official Burning Man Instagram released a statement regarding the event, and the narration was as wistful, enigmatic, and relaxed as ever: “It has, indeed, been quite a week. We faced the rain — fiercely — with Radical Self-reliance and Communal Effort. We found community, joy, and beauty in the dust and the mud. We experienced monumental and small-scale art, we danced, and we ran into the most random and heartwarming examples of Gifting. As you wipe off your gear, take some time to reflect on your time in Black Rock City — the connections you made, challenges overcome, breathtaking moments, and dreams for the future. Connect with loved ones and take care of your body. Safe travels and keep burning brightly.”

For content from the Burning Man Project, official statements, and more, click here.

For accurate video footage of Burning Man 2023 post the rains, see below.

Saracha

Heralding from sunny South Florida, I am a proud Florida Woman. In my free time, I surf the swamp, wrangle gators, open fan mail, and tend to my pets. In the wild, I’m most often spotted at immersive art spaces, step tappin’ in a shadowed corner of the club, hater blockerz on, totally incognito as your resident EDM spice girl. Although I generally tout my spicy side, if there’s one thing I’d love to impress upon the world, it would be this: it’s not a waste to give love to those who do not deserve it – it’s a gift. The world would be a better place if we gave, in kindness and in mercy, to those who need it most with no expectation in return.

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