Autopsy reveals 5-year-old’s cause of death living in Chicago migrant shelter

CHICAGO — Autopsy results have revealed the cause of death of a five-year-old Venezuelan boy who died after falling ill while living at a temporary migrant shelter in Pilsen in mid-December.

According to autopsy results released on Friday, the child, who has been identified as Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero, died from sepsis brought on by Group A Streptococcus (GAS).

GAS, also known as Group A Strep, is a bacteria known to cause a range of life-threatening infections, including strep throat.

Contributing factors in the boy’s death included COVID-19, adenovirus, and rhinovirus.

Initial reports indicated that the child suffered from a medical emergency and had been transported to Comer Children’s Hospital where he died on Dec. 17.

“The report confirming Jean Carlos Martinez’s cause of death, underscores the urgent need for more resources and improved conditions for the newly arrived migrants. I will continue pushing the Biden administration to provide more funding for cities like Chicago, to ensure that we can provide the care these families need,” Illinois Congressman Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia said in a stament onSaturday afternoon.

The child, who had been living in a temporary shelter in the 2200 block of South Halsted Street, was among a handful of kids who fell ill around the same time.