Hacked Yahoo News' Twitter Account Reports Fake Ebola Outbreak In Atlanta

MOUNTAIN VIEW (CBS SF) -- The official Twitter account of Yahoo News was apparently hacked Sunday after it tweeted 145 people in Atlanta were infected with Ebola to its 816,000 followers.

The tweet went out at 1:41 p.m. PST Sunday saying: "BREAKING: EBOLA OUTBREAK IN ATLANTA! Estimated 145 people carrying the disease were flown in from Africa." It was removed about 20 minutes later, but not before it was retweeted hundreds of times.

Yahoo addressed the error though it did not specifically say it had been hacked: "Earlier, an unauthorized tweet with misinformation about Ebola was sent from this account. Please disregard that tweet."
https://twitter.com/YahooNews/statuses/498574465094393856
The tweet created a stir across social media, playing on fears related to the two Americans infected with Ebola who are being treated at Emory University Hospital, although health officials assert there is no risk to the public.

RELATED: 

• The Ebola Outbreak: What Every American Needs To Know
• UC San Francisco Researchers To Analyze Deadly Ebola Virus; Experimental Vaccine In The Works
• California Company's Serum Used To Treat Man With Ebola Virus

In:
• Atlanta
• Twitter