A 14-year-old boy is believed to have died after injecting himself with a mixture of butterfly remains and water as part of a bizarre online challenge. Davi Nunes Moreira, 14, died in a hospital in Planalto, Brazil, after his condition deteriorated and he began vomiting. Initially, he told his father that he had injured himself while playing after finding a limp.
As his condition deteriorated, Davi told medical staff that he had gone to a pharmacy, mixed a dead butterfly with water, and injected the concoction into his leg. His death is being linked to toxins from the mixture that may have caused his body to go into septic shock.
Mysterious Death Linked to Toxins
Authorities are now awaiting the full autopsy results after launching an investigation into the incident and whether it was part of a bizarre internet challenge. Some media outlets in Brazil have speculated that Davi might have been influenced by an online experiment, although it's reported that he denied this before his death.
Davi died in a hospital in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia last Wednesday.
The Civil Police in Vitoria da Conquista are leading the investigation into Davi's death.
A spokesperson for the department stated, "The autopsy results will help clarify the cause of death. The investigation is designed to clear up what happened."
Reports from the area suggest that Davi's father found the syringe his son had used to inject himself hidden under his pillow while cleaning the house.
Professor Marcelo Duarte, the director of Sao Paulo University's Zoology Museum and an expert on butterflies, explained, "Butterflies have a complex biology, and the fluids present in their bodies have not been studied in depth in terms of their toxicity to humans."
He noted that the milkweed Monarch butterflies feed on as caterpillars contains a poisonous toxin, which is stored in their bodies. This toxin is what makes Monarch butterflies unappealing to predators.
Not Clear Yet
However, experts have said that the amount of these toxins is generally too small to pose a serious threat to human health. In response to the speculation that Davi may have been experimenting or participating in an online challenge, Gabriel Moreth posted online, "This generation is complicated and needs a lot of care."
"They believe in lots of things online, challenges, videos. Rest in peace, how his family must be suffering."
Last April, a Brazilian influencer suffered necrosis after participating in a dangerous viral challenge for her two million followers.
Thammy MC, whose real name is Thammy Caroline, became unable to walk after standing in a bucket of ice and salt as part of an online "dare." The challenge caused her feet to turn black, and she almost had to have her toes amputated.
