Tragic Deaths of Mother and Son in Arizona Linked to Deadly Rat-Borne Virus
In a heartbreaking incident, a mother and her 11-year-old son from Arizona have lost their lives after contracting a deadly virus carried by rats. The identities of the victims have not been disclosed. The mother had been suffering from symptoms including a fever, coughing up blood, and rapid breathing for a week before succumbing to the illness. Her son experienced a fever for just three days before vomiting and collapsing at night, eventually leading to his untimely demise.
Medical tests later revealed that both individuals had been infected with Hantavirus, a highly lethal disease that kills one in three people it infects. Hantavirus is typically contracted by touching surfaces contaminated with rodent feces. The exact time of infection for the mother and son remains unclear.
The victims were members of a Native American community living on a reservation. Hantavirus can be transmitted to humans when they come into contact with surfaces contaminated by rodent droppings and subsequently touch their mouth or nose.
Symptoms of Hantavirus infection usually appear one to eight weeks after exposure and include fever, muscle soreness, headache, nausea, and fatigue. After four to ten days, patients may experience shortness of breath and a sensation akin to having a tight band around the chest or a pillow over the face. The disease attacks the blood vessels in the lungs, causing leakage and fluid accumulation, which can ultimately lead to suffocation and death.
The recent deaths were reported in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) and occurred in March 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The report emphasizes the importance of remaining vigilant about other diseases during a health crisis.
The 25-year-old mother resided in a fourplex house on the White Mountain Apache Reservation in eastern Arizona, while her son lived in a separate family residence. He had visited his mother’s house once a month, including in February 2020. However, he returned to his family residence in March. The mother began experiencing shortness of breath on March 12, after staying at a casino between March 13 and 17 and cleaning her apartment on March 18. She was rushed to the hospital on March 19 due to abdominal pain and coughing up blood, but unfortunately, she passed away the same day.
On March 18, the son began feeling warm to the touch but did not have a fever. Two days later, he vomited, experienced difficulty breathing at night, and eventually collapsed and became unresponsive. He was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead the following day.
While the son tested positive for COVID-19, the mother tested negative for the virus. However, subsequent tests conducted in July by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that both victims had been infected with Hantavirus.
Hantavirus can be carried by various rodents, including the deer mouse, white-footed mouse, rice rat, and cotton rat. Transmission to humans can occur through contact with rodent droppings and via inhalation of air contaminated by rodent feces.
The deaths of the mother and son serve as a tragic reminder of the potential dangers posed by rat-borne diseases and the importance of taking precautions to prevent infections.