Patient Zero
Summary
This Radiolab episode explores the concept of "Patient Zero" through three distinct stories. It begins with Typhoid Mary, the first documented healthy carrier of typhoid fever, and her controversial quarantine. The show then debunks the myth of Gaetan Dugas as the origin of the AIDS epidemic, tracing HIV’s true roots to a chimpanzee spillover in Cameroon around 1908. Finally, it investigates the origins of the high-five, contrasting a viral internet claim with the likely invention by gay baseball player Glenn Burke.
Topics discussed
Introduction: Live taping and the theme of Patient Zero
The origin of the Typhoid Mary story
George Soper investigates Mary Mallon
Mary's quarantine on North Brother Island
Mary's release, relapse, and final confinement
Sponsor break: Capital One
Gaetan Dugas: The myth of AIDS Patient Zero
Genetic evidence disproving Dugas as the source
Tracing HIV origins to 1908 in Congo
SIV in chimpanzees and the spillover event
Urbanization and the spread of HIV to cities
Sponsor break: Capital One
The viral story of the high five's invention
Glenn Burke and the true origin of the high five
The hoax behind the Lamont Sleets story
Other claims and the legacy of Glenn Burke
Conclusion and staff credits
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