Woman Survives 1993 Hantavirus Outbreak, Shares Her Story

Shaina Montiel remembers the abdominal pain most vividly. At just 5 years old, she was fighting for her life against hantavirus during the deadly 1993 Four Corners outbreak.

"I remember that hurting bad to the point where I was just having to throw up because it hurt so bad," Montiel, now 38, told Good Morning America. She was one of only 18 people who contracted the virus during that outbreak, which killed more than a dozen others.

The outbreak happened in the Four Corners region where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. At the time, doctors knew little about hantavirus, leaving Montiel's mother terrified and searching for answers.

"My mom, she was very panicked, very worried, very stressed," Montiel recalled. "There was just a lot of unknown answers."

That 1993 outbreak marked the beginning of hantavirus surveillance in the United States. Since then, 890 cases have been reported across the country through the end of 2023, according to the CDC.

The Ripple Effect

Montiel's decision to share her story comes as 18 Americans remain in quarantine after being evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship, where 11 confirmed and probable hantavirus cases emerged. Her experience from three decades ago now offers crucial perspective during this current health situation.

The World Health Organization confirmed Tuesday there's no sign of a larger outbreak. Health officials emphasize that hantavirus spreads primarily through rodent droppings, urine, or saliva, and human-to-human transmission remains extremely rare.

Montiel survived her ordeal and wants others to know recovery is possible. "I would not wish that upon anybody," she said, reflecting on the pain she endured as a child.

Her voice now carries the weight of experience that can comfort and educate others facing similar fears.