The Argentine province of Tucumán is struck by a disease-causing agent whose source is unclear. Even though there are some parallels with Covid-19, experts feel that it is too early to be concerned about the possibility of a new outbreak.
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| [Argentine scientists are still researching on Argentine Pneumonia] |
The Argentine provincial health officials made the announcement this past Thursday, September 1, that a third individual who had been afflicted with an illness that has not yet been recognized had passed away. A puzzling case of pneumonia, further patients, and a number of fatalities... This news is eerily similar to that which was reported in the days leading up to the epidemic that was caused by the Covid-19 virus.
Symptoms of Argentine pneumonia
Between August 18 and August 22, 2022, nine patients, including eight members of the nursing staff at the same private clinic in Tucumán, which is located in the northern region of Argentina, started to develop signs of a respiratory pathology. Some individuals are being treated in hospitals, while others with less severe symptoms are being quarantined at their homes.
Everyone seems to be afflicted with bilateral pneumonia, which literally translates to a condition affecting both sets of lungs. According to statements made to the local press by Luis Medina Ruiz, who is in charge of health matters for the province of Tucumán, "Patients display X-rays quite similar to Covid-19." However, the coronavirus is not the focus of this discussion. The viral germs responsible for Covid-19, many flus, the common cold, and those of a hantavirus have previously been examined, and the tests have not reacted to any of them.
Current situation of Argentine pneumonia
As of Wednesday, August 31, there had been a total of just six "cases" found. The health services determined that the issue was "in control" and gave that assessment. Following this, the province recorded two fatalities. The first, a 30-year-old, was revealed on August 29, and the second, a middle-aged person, was disclosed on August 31. This past Thursday, three additional instances were added, and another death took place, which brought about a shift in the mood in Tucumán. Luis Medina Ruiz admitted that the predicament the province finds itself in is quite complicated.
"a 70-year-old patient who was admitted" for surgery in the same clinic where the other patients are members of the nursing staff is the third casualty of the outbreak. The provincial authorities in charge of public health think that she is "patient zero," although the inquiries into this matter are still underway.
The phenomena is now being carefully monitored, however it is unknown if it poses a threat of further spreading. "The information that is now available does not permit risk analyses to begin, but it does strongly urge us to watch the situation very carefully and pay close attention to it. It is not a good indicator when multiple people working in the health care industry have had pneumonia with an unknown cause at the same time. Having said that, it should undoubtedly check this information, in addition to gathering fresh ones ", as indicated by Mahmoud Zureik, who is a professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in France.
Even if the phenomena might be impressive, particularly after two years of captivity and stress, epidemiologist Mircea Sofonea from the University of Montpellier puts it into context for us. Even so, the phenomenon can still astound. "As long as we lack some of these pieces of knowledge, we shouldn't let fear get the better of us. It is essential to bring together a sequence of indications in order to activate the red alert, and there are several signals that are now absent. The Covid-19 initiative encourages researchers to pay more attention to newly developing infectious illnesses; yet, we cannot be concerned until we have gathered sufficient evidence to draw a conclusion on the risks posed by these diseases ", stated about the researcher
No, not in its current form. "When there is a noticeable rise in the number of cases over a period of weeks, we refer to this as an epidemic. An epidemic starts with a few isolated instances, and then it spreads across a population via active circulation. This population might be a hamlet or an entire area. If the instances are only found in one care facility, as it seems to be the case, then it is too soon to talk about an outbreak or an epidemic ", explains Mircea Sofonea.
Given the patients who have been recognized, the number of casualties is shockingly high; nevertheless, this does not necessarily indicate that the unknown infection is especially lethal since we do not know the precise number of individuals who have been infected. "If such a ratio is verified, it would indicate that this illness is very fatal, on par with Mers, which is a respiratory ailment that was found in 2012 in the Middle East. However, it is quite probable that physicians have only found severe instances to this point, as opposed to mild or asymptomatic ones that might also exist. In comparison to the initial assumptions, here is how the mortality rate of Covid-19 has significantly decreased. As a result, it is not yet the appropriate time to provide any commentary on this issue ", as Mircea Sofonea elucidates further.
On Wednesday, the Minister of Health for Tucumán made an estimate that the reason of the pathology may be an infectious agent; nevertheless, he did not rule out the possibility that it was caused by "toxic, environmental factors." Water and ventilation and air conditioning systems are also being analyzed at this time. "For instance, it may be pneumonia with legionellosis; but, given the present state of affairs, it is quite difficult to decide which tracks to favor."
Another possibility is that the patient has a kind of pneumonia that is more uncommon and, as a result, less often examined. According to epidemiologist Mircea Sofonea, "We are unable to screen all known pathogens at the same time." It takes time, and if the pathogen is genuinely unknown, accurately identifying it might take much more time than it already does. " no," enumerates the researcher's response.
A further analysis will be performed on the samples that have been submitted to the National Administration of Laboratories and Health Institutes. According to reports published in the local news, the medical facility that seems to be at the core of this occurrence has been placed in isolation. Since last Tuesday, the European Center for Disease Control has been keeping a close eye on this cluster of cases. In addition, the World Health Organization has been activated.