A 14-year-old boy in Brazil suffered for seven days before dying in hospital after injecting himself with a homemade butterfly mixture - a move believed to be linked to a dangerous online challenge.
Davi Nunes Moreira died earlier this year in a hospital in Planalto, Brazil, after reportedly mixing water with a dead butterfly and injecting it into his right leg.
According to the Daily Mail, authorities say the teen began vomiting and limping before being taken to the hospital by his father, where he later confessed to the act.
Moreira initially claimed he injured himself while playing, but as his condition worsened, he revealed the truth to medical staff. His father later discovered a syringe hidden under his pillow.
The teenager remained hospitalized for a week at Vitória da Conquista General Hospital, receiving specialized treatment before his condition deteriorated.
Doctors believe he may have died from an embolism, infection, or allergic reaction.
“We don’t know how he prepared this mixture or the size of the fragments he managed to inject into the body,” said Luiz Fernando D. Relvas, a specialist at Hospital Santa Marcelina, said at the time.
“There may have been air left inside, which could lead to an embolism.” Such a blockage in a blood vessel, he added, can cause sudden death.
Investigators looked into social media link
Civil Police in Vitória da Conquista looked at the possibility that the boy was influenced by a social media challenge.
Reports say similar butterfly-related “challenges” have circulated on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Although these posts often feature users drawing butterfly designs on their bodies as a form of artistic expression, some versions appear to have taken a dark and dangerous turn, VICE reported.
Investigators also explored whether toxins in the butterfly or bacteria introduced during the injection caused Moreira’s body to go into septic shock.
Though most butterflies are harmless to humans, species like the Monarch can carry higher toxin levels due to their diet of milkweed. However, experts have warned that little is known about the effects of injecting butterfly remains directly into the bloodstream.
Another viral stunt gone wrong
Moreira’s death echoes another near-tragedy involving Brazilian influencer Thammy MC, who participated in a separate online dare involving ice and salt.
After standing in a bucket of the mixture for 15 minutes, her feet turned black, and doctors warned that she was at risk of thrombosis and necrosis.
She narrowly avoided amputation and now uses a garden chair to move around her home. “I never felt such pain in my life,” Thammy recalled. “Three of my toes had turned black when it came out of the ice bucket.”