A third person in Argentina has died from a pneumonia-like illness that health authorities believe has "very similar" characteristics to coronavirus.
The latest victim is a 70-year-old woman - who doctors suggest may have been "patient zero" - admitted to health clinic in the north-west Tucuman region for surgery.
Investigations are underway into whether she was the first case to spread the mystery illness to at least nine medical personnel, which later claimed the lives of two workers.
Six employees were initially infected but that number has since grown to nine.
The first dozen cases showed symptoms - such as vomiting, high fever, diarrhoea, and body aches - over a five day period between August 18 to 22.
The three other patients, also all health care workers, had symptoms begin from August 20 to 23 and showed similar symptoms to the first load of infections.
Four remain in hospital in a serious conditions while the other five are in isolation. The remaining staff who were in close contact are being monitored closely.
Early investigations indicted the three who died had underlying health conditions.
Government health authorities are urgently conducting tests from samples collected to confirm what the disease is and its origin.
The region's Health Minister Luis Medina Ruiz told reporters the 70-year-old could have been patient zero but that was still be "evaluated".
He revealed the infected patients and those who died were affected by a "severe respiratory condition with bilateral pneumonia ... similar to COVID".
Initial tests have ruled out COVID-19, the flu, including type A and B, the legionella bacterial disease and hantavirus spread through rodents.
Other examinations are being conducted on local water supply and nearby air conditioners to determine if there is any linkage to the illness.
Hector Sale from the Tucuman provincial media college believes the disease was not being transmitted as close contact of cases had not been infected.
"We are not dealing with a disease that causes person-to-person transmission," he said.
The cases have so far been confined to the clinic and there had been no infections outside of the medical centre. No new cases were reported on Friday.
Other medical practitioners have brushed aside the early concerns and suggested it could be a local outbreak that will "fizzle out".
The Pan American Health Organisation - an branch of the World Health Organisation - is investigating with the health of Argentinian authorities.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiwwFodHRwczovL3d3dy5za3luZXdzLmNvbS5hdS93b3JsZC1uZXdzL3dvbWFuLTcwLXRoZS1sYXRlc3QtcGVyc29uLXRvLWRpZS1mcm9tLWEtdHlwZS1vZi1wbmV1bW9uaWEtb2YtdW5rbm93bi1vcmlnaW4tYXMtYXQtbGVhc3QtbmluZS1vdGhlcnMtYXJlLWluZmVjdGVkL25ld3Mtc3RvcnkvM2QzNjk1M2EwYjgxNjU3YTJjYWQ0MTZkZjM2ZDJlZGTSAQA?oc=5
2022-09-02 21:45:43Z
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