A third person has died in Argentina from puzzling pneumonia. The health authorities of the northwestern province of Tucumán said this on Thursday. An unknown pathogen has infected nine people so far, most of whom work in the same private hospital. On Monday, the first patient succumbed.
Regional Health Minister Luis Medina said preliminary investigations have ruled out the culprit of the coronavirus causing COVID-19. Nor is it a hantavirus or influenza A and B. Samples taken from the victims were sent to the famous Malbran Institute in the capital Buenos Aires.
Medina said the infected people all had “severe respiratory symptoms and double pneumonia,” symptoms similar to Covid-19.
Miguel Ferre Contreras, the provincial deputy health minister, says according to the Argentine newspaper ‘La Nacion’ possible infection with the legionella bacteria. This can lead to pneumonia, but also flu-like symptoms. Research is underway on samples taken from the hospital’s water tanks.
Experts are analyzing the water in the San Miguel de Tucumán region and checking the air conditioning in the hospital to rule out poisoning. The first six affected people had complaints between August 18 and 22. Of the last three cases, two are in hospital, the other is being nursed at home.
In early 2020, hospital directors in Hong Kong sounded the alarm over mysterious pneumonia. One of the patients had been to the Chinese city of Wuhan the week before. There was already the round that SARS, caused by a corona virus, had reared its head again.
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