Remember when: A QLD woman died of deadly lyssavirus as homegrown track star made headlines

THE husband of the woman who became only the second Australian to die of bat Lyssavirus had to live with the agony of knowing that a $600 course of injections could have saved her life.

Flashback: The lyssavirus strikes

Gold Coast Bulletin, Tuesday December 15, 1998

THE husband of the woman who became only the second Australian to die of bat Lyssavirus had to live with the agony of knowing that a $600 course of injections could have saved her life.

Clint Todhunter’s wife Monique, a 37-year-old mother of two died in Mackay Base Hospital, two years after being bitten by a bat at a child’s birthday party in 1996.

An exotic diseases expert said that without the injections, Mrs Todhunter had been sentenced to death the moment the animal sank its teeth into her.

Microbiologist at Brisbane’s University of Queensland, Professor John Mackenzie said lyssavirus was a death sentence.

Mr Todhunter told media that his wife of 15 years had jumped to a young girl’s aid after the bat swooped down and landed on the child’s back.

Gold Coast Bulletin 1998, December 15. Front page.

The bat sank its teeth into his wife’s finger and Mr Todhunter used his own hands to prise open its jaws to free her hand.

Everything appeared fine for two years until his wife began complaining about join pain and cold a few weeks before her death.

Meanwhile, Gold Coasters were urged to remember the name Melissa Rollinson, a 15-year-old who was said to be on the verge of “superstardom”.

She became the world’s fastest steeplechaser and told the Bulletin she hoped to compete for her country.

Later known as Melissa Hauschildt, she won silver at the 2006 Commonwealth Games before switching careers to become a professional triathlete.