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The investigation into the sudden death of actress Ece Irtem has taken a new turn after her lawyer said a monkey scratch during a recent trip to Thailand should also be looked into, while infectious diseases expert Professor Dr. Mehmet Ceyhan said a monkey-related infection appeared less likely than other medical causes.
Irtem, who reached a wide audience through her role as Isil in the Turkish TV series "One Love," known as "Kizilcik Serbeti," died at the age of 35. As the Forensic Medicine Institute's autopsy report is still awaited, claims about antidepressant and alcohol use have been discussed alongside a new detail submitted to the case file.
Irtem's lawyer, Ugur Gokkoyun, said the actress had traveled to Thailand shortly before her death and had been scratched by a monkey there. He said they asked prosecutors to assess whether this incident could have led to a fatal infection.
Following that claim, attention turned to diseases that can pass from monkeys to humans. Speaking to Tgrthaber.com, the president of the Infectious Diseases Association said macaques commonly seen around temples in Thailand can carry several infectious agents.
Ceyhan said these may include rabies, Herpes B virus, and some bacterial infections. He added that if a deep bite or scratch becomes infected, sepsis can develop. Sepsis is a severe reaction to infection that can become life-threatening when it spreads through the body.
Despite those risks, Ceyhan said the monkey-related explanation appeared to be a low-probability scenario in this case. He noted that rabies usually has a longer course and does not typically cause sudden death shortly after exposure.
He also said the herpes B virus could be considered because its incubation period can be shorter, ranging from several days to about a month. However, he underlined that the detail described in the case sounded more like scratches than a bite.
Ceyhan said a fatal infection from a monkey scratch would generally require a wound deep enough to bleed and allow microbes to enter the body. He stressed that a superficial skin scratch would not usually lead to such an outcome.
Ceyhan said that in the sudden death of a 35-year-old woman, underlying health problems should be considered more strongly than a monkey-related infection. He pointed to heart rhythm disorders, aneurysm, and unnoticed heart disease as more likely causes in young sudden-death cases.
He explained that heart rhythm disorders can lead to sudden cardiac arrest, while an aneurysm refers to a ballooning of a blood vessel that can rupture and cause internal bleeding. He also mentioned heart muscle diseases, heart inflammation, and some toxic factors as possible explanations.
Ceyhan said alcohol taken together with antidepressants could be a factor, while drug use, some chemical poisonings, or other underlying conditions could also play a role. He added that even infections such as the flu can sometimes trigger heart rhythm problems in certain people.
Summing up his assessment, Ceyhan said the strongest possibility appeared to be a condition related to Irtem's own health rather than an infection passed on by a monkey. He said a cardiac cause, aneurysm-related bleeding, or a rhythm problem triggered by other factors should be assessed as part of the investigation.
The final cause of death is expected to become clearer after the official autopsy report is completed.
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