This case involves a middle-aged male who was a resident of a high rise urban housing project in Arkansas who contracted a rare viral infection shortly after moving in. When the man first moved in to the building, he noticed a number of rodent droppings in the hallway as well as the corners of his closet. He later discovered that the building was infested with both rats and mice, and an ongoing effort to exterminate the vermin had been largely ineffective. Eventually, the man was diagnosed with a viral infection of his respiratory tract that was likely caused by exposure to rodent droppings. It was later discovered that multiple other residents of the building were infected with the same virus.
Question(s) For Expert Witness
1. What are the common locations and modes of transmission when this virus is contracted by humans?
2. Can you speak to the statistics of virus contraction for this case?
Expert Witness Response E-107469
Yes, mouse droppings may signal past presence of the rodents that carry the virus in question, and of course this multiplies the risk of contracting hantavirus disease. However, hantavirus infection is pretty uncommon, even among persons routinely exposed to mice and their urine. I don't think anybody knows why the rate of illness is so low, given the millions of persons exposed to the virus each year. It is logically inferred that cleaning would reduce the risk of hantavirus infection, but the incidence of disease is too low for this to be formally known or testable. The question is whether the virus was contracted from the buiding or from some other source. As for whether the best treatment was provided, most cases are not diagnosed until recovery or post-mortem, as the disease initially resembles other more common causes; only symptoms are treated with supportive care. Odds may shift depending on the known circumstances, but I'd reckon it highly unlikely the source of the infection can be known, nor that blame can be rightly assigned except in an emotional way.
About the author
Joseph O'Neill
Joe has extensive experience in online journalism and technical writing across a range of legal topics, including personal injury, meidcal malpractice, mass torts, consumer litigation, commercial litigation, and more. Joe spent close to six years working at Expert Institute, finishing up his role here as Director of Marketing. He has considerable knowledge across an array of legal topics pertaining to expert witnesses. Currently, Joe servces as Owner and Demand Generation Consultant at LightSail Consulting.
