Locked in the frost

Ameeta and Mayank, being an adventurous couple ,were on their honeymoon to the seventh continent at the bottom of the globe , the Antarctica. They had a huge appetite for adventure and weren’t afraid of pushing their limits. They roamed freely over the frost and permafrost , enjoyed the photography and the adventures of trekking on the South Pole , enjoyed watching the dance of whales and the penguin walks . As they sailed through the Drake passage, they enjoyed the rough seas and the high waves, giving them goosebumps . They entered the precarious waters of the LeMaire Channel and were witness to the tips of the icebergs breaking and floating away in the sea, a distinct sign of global warming . They trekked on the Ross Island through the frost , the largest ice shelf in Antarctica, tumbled and fell and slipped on the frosty earth , laughing off the minor cuts and bruises . All in all, they had a fantastic holiday and were soon on the way back home with experiences to be cherished for a lifetime. 

While on the flight back to Ushuaia, Argentina, Mayank developed a mild fever and soon started coughing, he put it down to exposure and fatigue. The minor cut sustained by him during the treks had flared up and had become red and angry. On reaching Argentina , his fever had risen enough to become a cause of concern. Ameeta too had started showing symptoms of cough, mild fever and a strange purple coloured rash on her hands and legs . “ Let’s take an anti histamine and some medication for cold and fever”, said Mayank. They took  some medications that they had carried in the first aid kit . 

“ I hope the Crocin works Mayank , as if we have fever, we may not be allowed to board the connecting flight back home”, said a concerned Ameeta. By this time some  people from their travel group also developed similar symptoms and there was a mild panic amongst them. 

The entire group managed to clear the immigration, but those who showed some symptoms were held back at the Public Health Check post at the airport. “ Sorry Sir and Madam, we have to follow the procedure , especially after Covid.International travel has become a major threat of epidemics and endemics becoming a pandemic“, said the health official at the airport. Ameeta , Mayank and a couple of others were detained and quarantined, much against their wishes . “ It’s a simple case of influenza “, argued Mayank , but to no avail . 

They were sent to the public health department, where the epidemiologist took their case and travel history and collected throat, nasal and skin swabs for testing . Some basic symptomatic treatment was administered until a diagnosis could be made . 

The lab reports showed a bacterial infection. The pathogen was isolated and further sent for Genome sequencing. Upon genome sequencing, it was found to be a variant of Bacterium X012, a potential opportunistic pathogen( fictional name given ) . An opportunistic pathogen is one that can cause disease when given the chance . The genome sequence showed the presence of some anti freeze proteins and other adaptations that had to be made in order for the bacterium to survive under the psychrotrophic conditions and be able to live in the frost . However , as the icebergs had started melting due to global warming, the organism was slowly regaining some of its recessive characteristics and adapting to the changed environmental conditions.  Slowly, as the bacterium multiplied, the genes which were recessive for the various Virulence factors starting getting expressed. Virulence is the ability to cause disease and there are various factors and proteins which help the organism in becoming a pathogen. The bacterium was waiting to enter a host at the first occasion and cause disease. It managed its way into Mayank by way of the minor cuts and abrasions he had sustained while trekking on the land covered with frost .

The disease caused by the bacterium was not fully characterised as there were hardly few cases of it so far . It was classified as a “highly contagious emerging infection”. 

When Ameeta and Mayank were informed of the lab results, they were aghast and worried, wondering how long would the recovery take , if at all they recover , given the history of the Covid Pandemic. They were prepared for the worst and like good educated citizens , fully aware of the dangers of the contagious disease, were completely cooperating with the health authorities, wanting this nightmare to end and reach safely home . 

Symptomatic treatment continued for all of them who had got infected and the public health team took adequate precautions by keeping them quarantined. 

Gradually, they recovered fully. Another major pandemic was averted . The bacterium locked in the frost , which had got unlocked due to the global warming, couldn’t complete the infectious cycle and was dead forever.