A HANTAVIRUS survivor who caught the life-threatening illness over 30 years ago suffered from skin so sensitive she couldn’t be touched – she’s now sharing what the virus is really like.
When five-year-old Shaina Montiel started haemorrhaging blood and poo uncontrollably from her bum, doctors thought she might have or .
Shaina Montiel, 38, caught hantavirus when she was five years old Credit: SWNS
Doctor’s didn’t know what was wrong with her initially and tested Shaina for meningitis and leukaemia Credit: SWNS
She spent over a week in hospital having tests run, but it wasn’t until she saw a doctor who had recently been to a seminar on that Shaina received her diagnosis.
Shaina, now 38, was diagnosed with the haemorrhagic strain of the virus in 1993 – different to the Andes strain found aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius which is at the centre of the .
It is suspected that she picked up the deadly rat virus after coming into contact with animal droppings while playing in her “rural” back garden.
Shaina, from , , said: “I have a lot of memories from that time, because it was so traumatic – I’ve never forgotten it.”
Shaina was diagnosed with the haemorrhagic strain of hantavirus in 1993 Credit: SWNS
Pictured here with her boyfriend, it is believed she got the illness while playing in her back garden Credit: SWNS
is a highly lethal respiratory disease, typically transmitted to humans through the droppings, urine or saliva of infected rodents.
The illness has come into the spotlight recently following an outbreak of theon a Dutch cruise ship travelling from Ushuaia in to in – it never made it to the final destination.
The ship docked in the last week after was asked to manage the evacuation and arrived in this morning.
Shaina wanted to share her “traumatic” experience after seeing families now dealing with diagnoses of the .
She said: “Knowing there are people who are suffering with it and who might catch it, it’s chilling.
“Those poor families that are now dealing with it, oh my gosh. I just hope they recover, like I did.”
When the special education teacher first fell ill, she presented with -like symptoms and was prescribed antibiotics.
She said: “I remember I had flu-like symptoms and had antibiotics, then one day I began haemorrhaging rectally – I couldn’t control it.
Shaina initially had flu-like symptoms and was given antibiotics, but her condition soon become a lot worse Credit: SWNS
A map showing the development of the deadly rat virus outbreak
“It hit me really hard – no illness since has caused that severe vomiting.”
was extremely rare when Shaina was diagnosed with the illness and doctors initially didn’t know what was wrong with her.
She was sent to a children’s hospital where her diagnosis was confirmed, but Shaina says she has gone over three decades without ever knowing of another case.
She said: “I had a blood rash underneath my skin too, my mum said you couldn’t touch a on my head because my skin was so sensitive.”
The teacher was extremely unwell and was in pain for around two weeks in total.
Shaina said: “When I was diagnosed, the doctors asked my mom’s permission to document everything in my case because it was so uncommon.
“Seeing someone who survived it on TV this week was the first time I’d seen another survivor.
“Growing up, there was no information out there about it. Now there is, it’s like a little part of me is being shared with the world.”
Shaina was extremely unwell with hantavirus for two weeks Credit: SWNS
Hantavirus is usually transmitted to humans through the droppings, urine or saliva of infected rodents Credit: Alamy
After recovering from the illness Shaina was monitored for two years.
She said: “My mom used to have to check after every time I used the restroom, for blood in my stool.
“They told her it could affect my kidneys or my vision long term.
“I had no long term effects but I did develop through childhood and into adulthood, feeling like I would die from something rare.
“And I developed a fear of vomiting.”
Speaking about the current rat virus , Shaina said: “The scariest part is, I didn’t know there was a human-to-human strain.
“I was always told mine was spread by rodents.
“They say it’s hard to get, and low risk, but it felt like a bit of a concern to me.”
She continued: “It’s super weird now, everyone else getting to know about something I went through.
“It was scary and a horrible experience that I don’t want anyone else to go through.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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