HECHT – Detection of Hantavirus during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Arizona, USA, 2020
Gavriella Hecht, Ariella P. Dale, Irene Ruberto, Guillermo Adame, Ryan Close, Sarah-Jean Snyder, Kathryn Pink, Nathanael Lemmon, Jessica Rudolfo, Michael Madsen, Andrea L. Wiens, Caitlin Cossaboom, Trevor Shoemaker, Mary J. Choi, Deborah Cannon, Inna Krapiunaya, Shannon Whitmer, Melissa Mobley, Emir Talundzic, John D. Klena, and Heather Venkat
Article first published online: August 2023
DOI: doi.org/10.3201/eid2908.221808
The COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected public health investigation and response activities for other illnesses. In March 2020, the deaths of a mother and son living both on and around the White Mountain Apache Reservation in Arizona, were reported to the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS). On September 15, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified ADHS that the mother tested positive for hantavirus, and the son was confirmed to be coinfected with both hantavirus and SARS-CoV-2. Hantavirus genomes from the two individuals were closely related, indicating a common source of exposure. Delayed identification of the cause of death led to a public health investigation that lasted ≈9 months after their deaths, which complicated the identification of a vector or exposure. The COVID-19 pandemic likely played a role in delayed detection of hantavirus for these cases because of its effects on aspects of healthcare and public health. This case series presents a post-hoc investigation of the events leading up to and following the deaths of the two individuals to improve public health preparedness in relation to hantavirus in Arizona. The paper was also feature in the EID journal’s podcast, which can be found at the article link.
ABSTRACT: We identified 2 fatal cases of persons infected with hantavirus in Arizona, USA, 2020; 1 person was co-infected with SARS-CoV-2. Delayed identification of the cause of death led to a public health investigation that lasted ≈9 months after their deaths, which complicated the identification of a vector or exposure.
Read the full publication in Emerging Infectious Diseases.