The three men who died of the mutated virus were in their 60s or 70s and were friends who met up regularly. They were all squirrel breeders, raising animals that were sold as exotic pets, and reports indicate that at least two of them received scratches or bites from the squirrels. Between 2011 and 2013, all three men developed encephalitis, brain inflammation usually caused by a virus. They were treated in intensive care units, but within four months of their initial symptoms, they slipped into comas and died.
