The World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring a cluster of 10 cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Argentina in an outbreak that has so far included three deaths.
The cases are linked to a single private clinic in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán, located in the northwest of the country, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the WHO’s regional office.
An initial report on Tuesday included five healthcare workers and a patient who was treated in the clinic’s intensive care ward, with symptoms appearing between Aug. 18 and Aug. 22.
On Thursday, local health officials reported three more cases, bringing the total to 9, including three deaths. All three people who died had other health conditions. On Friday (2), Argentina reported an additional case.
Symptoms include fever, muscle and abdominal pain, and shortness of breath. Several patients had pneumonia in both lungs.
Tests for known respiratory viruses and other viral, bacterial and fungal agents were all negative, PAHO said. Biological samples were sent to Argentina’s National Administration of Laboratories and Health Institutes for further testing, which will include an analysis for the presence of toxins.
Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Minnesota, said that because the lungs are so heavily involved, the cause is likely something patients inhaled.
He first suspected Legionnaires’ disease, which is caused by inhaling water droplets containing the Legionella bacteria, but tests ruled that out. PAHO and WHO are monitoring the outbreak and assisting local health authorities with the investigation.
Osterholm said “mystery diseases” sometimes happen and more often than not, they can be explained by some local outbreak that doesn’t have pandemic implications. The doctor said he expects more definitive information from Argentine health authorities in the next five to seven days.
Source: CNN Brasil
