A Long Island man was killed by a rare rodent-borne disease last week, in a freak illness that's only the second confirmed case of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the state since 1995.
35-year-old chiropractor and father of three David Hartstein started feeling sick about two weeks ago in his Montauk home, according to family friends. Hartstein and his wife initially thought it was the flu or Lyme disease, but last week, Hartstein "had trouble breathing and started shaking and sweating" before his wife called an ambulance. His doctors "scrambled" to figure out what was wrong, but Hartstein died that night. Friends and family suspect that he might have inhaled microscopic particles containing the virus while vacuuming his basement after a small flood about a month ago.
The lung infection is a disease that comes from contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva, according to the American Lung Association, and there is no known treatment or cure.
