A warning message about a “new killer insect” that spreads a deadly skin-disfiguring virus infection through skin contact has gone viral online. But the warning, which has been circulated widely online, causing panic among susceptible social media users, is a hoax.

The hoax warning, accompanied by alarming images, the stuff of a hypochondriac’s nightmares, to have emerged on social media in January 2016.

It the emergence of a “new killer insect” that spreads a gruesomely disfiguring skin condition.

The purveyors of the online hoax display a photo of an insect, with a warning to viewers to never touch any creepy-crawly that looks remotely like the insect because touching it or attempting to kill it with bare hands infects with a deadly virus that spreads to the rest of the body in a matter of minutes!

The message is also accompanied by a skin-crawling sensation-inducing image of a human hand supposedly infected with the mysterious virus through contact with the “new insect killer.”

The dreadfully diseased-looking human hand is covered with multiple holes supposedly caused by the virus infection.

Most viewers would immediately notice the striking similarity between the disfigured palm and structures on the back of the “new killer insect” that supposedly spreads the deadly viral infection.