The COVID-19 pandemic may have delayed the diagnosis of rare diseases in tribal areas in Arizona, according to new research published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the Journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

This report follows the March 2020 deaths of a mother and son living on the White Mountain Apache Reservation. Both mother and son were infected with hantavirus, a rare disease that is primarily transmitted through saliva, urine, and feces of infected rodents. However, as studies have found, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely a factor in delaying detection of the virus due to how the pandemic affected medical care and public health.

At the time of diagnosis, an emergency department doctor noted that the mother’s x-rays “suspected hantavirus, novel coronavirus infection, or diffuse bacterial pneumonia.” She was then transferred to another hospital for more advanced treatment, after which she passed away on March 19, 2020. However, according to the report, “medical records showed no evidence that hantavirus testing was ordered at either hospital.”

After that, the son suffered from symptoms such as difficulty breathing, fell ill, and died just two days later. A county coroner performed a nasal swab test on his son to determine if the cause of death was COVID-19, but the test was negative. A few months after submitting the tissue to the CDC for analysis, it turned out that COVID-19 played a role in his son’s death. It was not until September 15, 2020, almost six months after his death, that the Indian Health Service determined that hantavirus was a similar factor.

In response, IHS visited the mother and child’s former residence in October 2020 and conducted an environmental survey to see if the team had spread the disease. Although no outbreaks were detected, IHS has issued hantavirus prevention announcements to local health authorities and communities.

Due to delays in testing, a focus on local COVID-19 responses, and delays in identifying infected people, the environmental survey will be carried out seven months after the initial outbreak, according to the report. rice field.

“Rodent populations may have changed during that period, which may have hampered vector identification and exposure,” the report said.

The report suggests that delays in testing may be due to the CDC’s requirement to test all people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 deaths. are doing.

The current study suggests the adoption of a 5-point hantavirus screening tool for areas outside the Four Corners area where the disease is commonly found. It also calls on public health partners to monitor and respond to other potential illnesses to ensure prompt action, even during the pandemic.

AZPM has contacted the Arizona Department of Health to discuss the findings of this study. AZDHS declined an interview.