The Hunt for Patient Zero Is Important But Impossible

Finding the source of a disease outbreak requires intensive detective work from health experts. But is finding Patient Zero even possible?

How Did We Kill Smallpox? -    • How Did We Kill Smallpox?  
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Patient Zero: The origins of disease
http://blogs.plos.org/publichealth/20...
"Dr Sara Baker was sent to Mary Mallon's house, as it was felt that a female doctor may be more persuasive than a male. After being refused again, Dr Baker went to Mary's workplace with police officers, and had her arrested. Mary was tested, deemed to be a carrier, and placed in isolation on North Brother Island."

HIV's 'Patient Zero' Wrongly Blamed for AIDS Epidemic
https://www.seeker.com/hivs-patient-z...
"As the scientists conducted patient interviews to reconstruct their social network and trace the infection -- not yet known as acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS -- back to it source, one man in particular came up repeatedly: Gaetan Dugas."

These Three Diseases Could Be the Next Global Epidemic
https://www.seeker.com/these-three-di...
"With the world still reeling from outbreaks of deadly Ebola and baby-deforming Zika, governments and charities launched a $460-million (431 million-euro) initiative to 'outsmart' infectious epidemics."
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This episode of Seeker was hosted by Trace Dominguez.
Written by: Lauren Ellis