90-Second Read: Beaumont woman warns others after brother dies from Hantavirus

A Beaumont woman is sharing how her brother died from Hantavirus in 2007 as she urges people to stop dismissing the virus as fake. Deidre Hodges says her brother, Joey Bruce, died in 2007 after suddenly becoming seriously ill. Now, as she sees people online dismissing Hantavirus as fake or exaggerated, she says she felt compelled to speak publicly about what her family experienced firsthand.

To stream 12NewsNow on your phone, you need the 12NewsNow app. Hodges says Bruce spent the day hauling trash to a burn pile on a tractor before later becoming sick. According to Hodges, Bruce developed severe symptoms, including shortness of breath, chest pain, high fever and body aches.

Hodges says recent online comments and jokes about the virus motivated her to speak publicly about her brother's death. Hodges now hopes others will take precautions and pay attention to symptoms if they become sick. Doctors at the time were confused of what, what it could have been.