Claim: A new form of STD has been discovered among residents of the city of Portland, Oregon.
FALSE |
Example: [Collected via e-mail, September 2013]
Origins: On 28 September 2013, the National Report published an article positing that a new form of sexually transmitted disease (STD) had been discovered among residents of the city of Portland, Oregon:
Descriptions of the medical affliction include open sores and painful swelling of the genitalia. The real threat is the low success rate of treatment, leading to a serious blood infection and the complete inability to urinate. This can quickly escalate to a ruptured bladder and toxic shock if not treated by a doctor immediately.
By the following day links and excerpts referencing this article were being circulated via social media, with many of those who encountered the item mistaking it for a genuine news article. However, the article was just a bit of satire from the National Report, a web site that publishes outrageous fictional stories such as "IRS Plans to Target Leprechauns Next," "Boy Scouts Announce Boobs Merit Badge," and "New CDC Study Indicates Pets of Gay Couples Worse at Sports, Better at Fashion Than Pets of Straight Couples."
The National Report's (since removed) disclaimer page notes that:
Last updated: 30 September 2013