Which bacterial meningitis killed a high school athlete last week will never be known.
Demi Candelaria, 15, a sophomore at Judge Memorial Catholic High School, died Tuesday after a brief but severe illness. Health officials suspected the cause was bacterial meningitis.
They expected cultures taken from the girl to pinpoint the exact bacteria, but the antibiotics the girl was given to try to save her cleared the bacteria from the culture. Tests came back "inconclusive," according to officials.
She was tentatively diagnosed with bacterial meningitis because of the symptoms she displayed and the speed with which the illness progressed.
Meningitis is an infection of the spinal cord fluid and tissue around the brain. Symptoms include severe headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion, sleepiness and possible seizures. It is spread through respiratory or nasal droplets.
Meningitis kills about 300 people a year. There is a vaccine for meningitis.