April fools all year round

Necrotizing fasciitis, according to a recent warning circulating on the Internet, can be caught from Costa Rican bananas. But don't believe the hype, says the CDC. The story is unfounded and, like many others, is deconstructed on a CDC website devoted to hoaxes and rumors. The site provides accurate information in the face of some terrifying tales about various contagious diseases. For example, the public was recently alarmed by a claim, apparently spread by the media, that the CDC had discovered a mutant strain of HIV that could be transmitted through the air. The CDC has corrected this misinformation. Luckily, neither HIV nor necrotizing fasciitis is spread as easily as the rumours about them. AVhttp://www.cdc.gov/hoax_rumors.htm