Two people have died and three remain in hospital after being struck down by pneumonia of "unknown origin" in Argentina. A total of six patients in the country have been tested after going down with the mystery illness.
Tests have dismissed the presence of common infections, including Covid, raising worries of the potential for a new disease outbreak. Health officials have confirmed that two people died in north west Argentina, reports the Express.
Doctors, however, have moved to reassure people that the situation was "under control". Argentina's Ministry of Health said the six reported cases involved five health workers and one patient.
They began to show symptoms between August 18 and 22, a statement from the health ministry said. Three are still in hospital, while another is in a "satisfactory condition" and is isolating at home, officials said.
The provincial minister, Luis Medina Ruiz, said: "These patients have in common a severe respiratory condition with bilateral pneumonia, and present an imagery very similar to Covid-19, but this has been ruled out."
He added that the cases "have already been tested for Covid-19, influenza, influenza A and B, hantavirus (rodent-borne infections), and 25 other germs," all of which were negative. He noted that while this disease may be due to an infectious agent like a virus or bacteria, toxic and environmental causes have not been ruled out. Authorities are analysing water and air conditions and sending samples for further analyses to the national reference laboratory in Buenos Aires.
Mr Ruiz added: "No new cases have been reported since August 22." This included the close contacts of the patients, which the minster hailed as "positive news".
He said: "We want to reassure the population that the situation is under control. The patients are hospitalised, isolated and there is strict monitoring by our teams in coordination with the medical centres where they are hospitalised.”
Health authorities in Tucuman have ordered a seven-day preventive isolation of the Luz Medica Hospital, where the cases were detected.
Speaking of the latest person to die from the illness, the ministry said in a statement: "This is a 45-year-old male patient with comorbidities who had been hospitalised at the Eva Perón hospital since August 21. National and provincial health authorities are working together to carry out the investigation of the outbreak, including the follow-up of the contacts of the cases and specific control actions in the health centre where the outbreak occurred.”
The director of the Luz Médica Hospital, Alejandro Lembo, urged people to remain "calm", clarifying that authorities have been investigating this outbreak for more than a week.
He said: "So far, the virus and bacteria tests have been negative. This situation was generated eight days ago and there were no other cases. The paranoia that has been generated in society has nothing to do with the current situation."
