Local Health Departments Tweeting About Ebola Characteristics and Messaging

The study team collected all Ebola-related tweets sent by nearly 300 local health departments (LHDs) across the U.S. from September 3 to November 2, 2014 and analyzed their characteristics. The majority of Ebola tweets provided information, and the rest shared information on preparedness or shared news or promoted events. The authors recommend that LHDs use Twitter during public health emergencies “to ensure timeline dissemination of critical information.”