Hospitals in Buenos Aires are filling with patients suffering from a mysterious and severe lung infection eerily similar to the early days of COVID-19. Dozens of young adults — once healthy — are now in intensive care, struggling to breathe.

Health officials have confirmed more than 60 cases of “atypical pneumonia”, and several require mechanical ventilation. What makes this outbreak alarming is that many patients had no preexisting conditions and no known exposure to birds — despite doctors finding signs of psittacosis, also known as “parrot fever.”

Psittacosis is a rare bacterial infection that spreads from birds to humans. Symptoms often mimic the flu — fever, chills, and a persistent cough — but in serious cases, it can lead to life-threatening pneumonia. Experts warn that while it’s usually treatable, outbreaks like this can spread quickly if not contained. “We can’t afford complacency,” said infectious disease expert Professor Paul Hunter. “It’s unlikely to spread globally, but we must stay alert.”

For now, Argentina’s health officials remain quiet, leaving many uneasy. The memory of 2019’s “mystery pneumonia” still lingers — a reminder of how quickly an unknown illness can change the world.

Sometimes, history doesn’t repeat itself. But it does whisper.