Patient Zero

Overview

  • This series explores significant "patient zero" stories, focusing on historical cases of disease spread.

Typhoid Mary

Background

  • The story centers on Mary Mallon, known as "Typhoid Mary," who was the first identified carrier of typhoid fever in North America without showing symptoms of the disease.

  • Her story begins in 1906 when a wealthy family in Oyster Bay falls ill after hiring her as a cook.

Outbreak Investigation

  • A public health investigator, George Soper, is called to explore the outbreak.

  • Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, and constipation.

  • Investigation reveals that the family shares a common cook, Mary Mallon, linking her to prior outbreaks.

Discovery of Mary Mallon's Role

  • Mary is described as healthy and denies being ill.

  • Soper attempts to obtain samples from her but is chased away by her.

  • Mary is ultimately found and tested positive for typhoid bacilli, confirming her as a carrier.

Isolation and Legal Controversies

  • Mallon is forcibly quarantined on North Brother Island for three years.

  • She fights against her isolation and claims her innocence, even as tests show she is an intermittent carrier.

  • After three years, she is released under the condition she never works as a cook again.

Subsequent Outbreak

  • After her release, a typhoid outbreak occurs at a hospital where she worked, violating her agreement.

  • Despite many healthy carriers being identified, Mary is the only one isolated, raising questions about justice and public fear.

AIDS Epidemic and Patient Zero

Introduction of Patient Zero Concept

  • The segment discusses the early AIDS epidemic, starting in the early 1980s with a focus on identifying the initial source of the outbreak.

  • Gaëtan Dugas, a French-Canadian airline steward, was incorrectly labeled as Patient Zero in media narratives.

Scientific Investigation

  • Investigations reveal Dugas was not the source; the virus had been in the U.S. far earlier than his known cases.

  • Through genetic analysis of HIV strains, researchers trace the epidemic's origin back to the 1960s and ultimately to Africa around 1908.

The Spillover Effect

  • HIV is linked to a spillover from simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) found in chimpanzees, initiating cross-species transmission.

  • The cut hunter hypothesis suggests a hunter's blood contact with infected chimpanzee blood led to the first human infection.

High-Five Origins

High-Five Invention Stories

  • Exploration of the origins of the high-five, with conflicting stories from various individuals claiming to be the source.

  • Glenn Burke, a baseball player, is noted for popularizing the high-five in the 1970s but his story gets overshadowed by fabricated claims.

  • Derek Smith also claims a version of the high-five linked to basketball.

The Descent into Mythology

  • It's revealed that some narratives around the high-five were fabricated, and true origins remain obscure, complicating how stories evolve.

Conclusion

  • The overarching theme examines the complexities of tracing origins—whether it be diseases or cultural acts like the high-five—and the impact of individual narratives on historical understanding.

  • Raises questions about fame, recognition, and the stories we tell ourselves.