RE: How the hell did they get infected with it?
My guess is KARMA. China is one of the few countries that is breaking the US led sanctions against Iran and still providing them with technological help.
One of these “technologies” might have been bioweapons. Perhaps an infected Chinese official or scientist might have been working closely with him.
I am waiting for it to pop up significantly in Africa. There are approximately 1 million Chinese working there. The outbreak occurred roughly around Chinese New Year when you have a lot of people coming and going.