Jan 26, 2008 7:45 am US/Eastern
Queens Guidance Counselor Dies From Meningitis
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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LeAnne Burke was a guidance counselor at St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens.
St. Francis Preparatory School/CBS
A Queens Catholic school guidance counselor has died from bacterial meningitis, becoming the second person in two days to die from the condition.
The victim, identified as 27-year-old LeeAnne Burke, worked at St. Francis Preparatory High School in the Fresh Meadows section of the borough.
A flag outside the school was at half-mast on Friday.
"Please pray for the repose of the soul of Ms. LeeAnne Burke of the Guidance Department who passed away this morning," a message said on the school's Web site.
Burke's family members say they had just visited her at the North Shore University hospital on Thursday night, where she was in high spirits as she recovered from the bacterial infection. But at 5 a.m., the family received a phone call from hospital officials saying she had passed away.
"Most students who knew her were crying. It's one of those sad days," said St. Francis junior Chris Meskouris.
According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, close friends and family members of Burke were given antibiotics as a precautionary measure. A department spokesperson said no other cases of illness were found.
Concerned parents took no chances though and pulled their children from school when the news hit.
"He's my one and only, I've got to keep an eye on him," said Barbara Newsome, who took her 17-year-old son William out of school early Friday.
A wake will be held for Burke on Sunday and Monday from 2-5 p.m., and from 7-9 p.m. at Dalton's Funeral Home in New Hyde Park.
Her funeral will be held Tuesday morning at 9:30 at the Malverne Bible Church, located at 270 Franklin Ave. in Malverne. There will be no school that day.
On Thursday, a Long Island high school senior also died suddenly from the deadly bacteria. Michael Gruber, 17, fell ill on Wednesday afternoon, before being rushed to a hospital Thursday morning, where he later died.
Bacterial meningitis is a severe infection that affects the brain and spinal cord that can be treated with antibiotics. It can spread so quickly that it's important to recognize the signs and get treatment immediately.
The main symptoms include:
- Sudden onset of fever and an intense headache
- Stiff neck
- Light sensitivity
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Rash
If you develop the symptoms, you should seek medical attention at a hospital immediately. Minutes can make a difference.
It takes very close facial contact to transmit the bacterial meningitis germ. It's passed along in mucous droplets that don't stay airborne very long, so one would need to be within three feet or so of an infected person's cough or sneeze.
Ten percent of the population carries the bug in their nose, but for unknown reasons, they don't get sick.
According to the health department, New York City has about 30-50 cases of bacterial meningitis each year.
Stay with wcbstv.com and CBS 2 HD for more on this developing story.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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