Autopsy confirms migrant boy died from infection contracted in Chicago shelter

Feb. 17 (UPI) -- A 5-year-old boy who died in December while living in a migrant shelter in Chicago was killed by sepsis due to an infection contracted while at the facility, officials have confirmed.

The sepsis stemmed from an infection of streptococcus pyogenes, the bacteria that can lead to strep throat and other life-threatening infections, the Cook County Medical Examiner said in a report distributed to media outlets on Friday.

Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero died on Dec. 17, 2023, after going into medical distress at the migrant shelter in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. Paramedics rushed him to Comer Children's Hospital where he ultimately succumbed to the infection.

His death sparked criticism of health conditions within the city's migrant shelter system. Public health officials warned last year the shelters were witnessing a surge of chickenpox and strep throat cases among children, with hundreds of instances reported.

The shelter is home to some 2,500 migrants, about half of which are children.

At the time of his death, however, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's office said "the child does not appear to have died from an infectious disease."

The boy was also stricken with adenovirus, rhinovirus and COVID-19, which all contributed to his death, according to the autopsy report.

The boy, his mother, father and 2-year-old brother emigrated from Venezuela, arriving in Chicago just days earlier and eventually moving into the shelter on South Halsted Street in the city.

"The City of Chicago again expresses our deepest condolences to the family of Jean Carlos Martínez Rivero," the mayor's office said in a statement issued Saturday. "This is a tragic loss, and we appreciate the work of community partners supporting the Martínez Rivero family during this difficult time."

In the newest statement, Johnson's office pushed back against concerns about conditions in the city's shelters.

The city "coordinates medical screenings for all shelter residents, weekly on-site provider support, on-site vaccination events for COVID, varicella, and flu, and partnerships with a network of community health centers for other healthcare needs. All shelter residents are offered comprehensive medical examinations and care," the mayor's office said in the statement.

Chicago's administration "has prioritized the health and well-being of asylum seekers throughout the New Arrivals Mission in partnership with community healthcare providers and Cook County Health, and the Chicago Department of Public Health will continue to monitor and respond to all reportable cases of infectious disease across the City's temporary shelter system," the statement read.