Denver area school closes after 3 teachers die - one from suspected bacterial meningitis

A Denver-area high school closed this week after two of its teachers died - at least one due to symptoms consistent with bacterial meningitis.

Eaglecrest High School in Aurora canceled Tuesday night athletics and activities and Wednesday classes out of what officials called an abundance of caution following the death of teacher Madelaine Schmidt.

Schmidt worked as an Integrated Learning Center (ILC) teacher at the public school, according to its website. She was also a high school girls’ soccer coach.

Schmidt, 24, had symptoms consistent with the illness, the local health department reported. Symptoms include a sudden, high fever; headache; stiff neck; nausea or vomiting; or a dark purple rash, according to health officials.

"The Arapahoe Public Health Department is working closely with the Cherry Creek School District, sharing information, and working together to perform contact tracing," the county's public information officer Anders Nelson told USA TODAY.

Classes resumed Thursday along with athletics and activities events, schools spokesperson Lauren Snell said.

No other staffers or students have reported bacterial meningitis, Snell told USA TODAY Thursday. Snell said the ILC program will remain closed until Monday.

"It is with great sadness that we share with you that Judith Geoffroy, ILC para, and Maddie Schmidt, ILC teacher, both passed away in the last 24 hours, the district released in a statement to parents and the school community this week. "These tragic deaths appear to be of natural causes and are unrelated. We have shared these losses with our staff and will have the district mental health team available to assist them in coping with their grief."

It’s unclear whether Schmidt's case was an isolated incident or part of a broader outbreak.

Meningococcal disease is caused by a bacteria, and when the linings of the brain and spinal cord become infected, it is called meningitis. It is spread through respiratory and throat secretions such as saliva and spit. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says although it is not as contagious as the flu, it can spread through close, lengthy contact such as kissing.

Two other district deaths reported

Another teacher who worked with Schmidt at the same school also died over the weekend, Kelly C. Lear, a pathologist with the Arapahoe County Coroner's Office, confirmed.

Judith Geoffroy, a 63-year-old paraprofessional in the Integrated Learning Center, died but her official cause of death had not been confirmed according to a statement released Wednesday.

Lear said both the bodies of Geoffroy and Schmidt will undergo additional tests in the coming days.

"The causes of their deaths are pending ancillary testing; the presence or absence of bacterial meningitis will not be confirmed until those additional test results are final," Lear wrote in the statement.

A third teacher in the school district also died over the weekend, but worked at a different school, Snell said.

Cherry Creek High School freshman baseball coach and Willow Creek Elementary Physical Education teacher Scott Nash passed away over the weekend.

"His death is an unrelated case and is not related to bacterial meningitis," Snell said.

How is meningitis treated?

According to the CDC, a vaccine is available to people age 16 through 23.

Meningococcal disease is treated with antibiotics but treatment must start "as soon as possible" to reduce the risk of death, the CDC said. Other treatments include breathing supports, medication to treat low blood pressure, surgery to remove dead tissue and wound care for damaged skin.

For every 100 people who contract meningococcal disease, 10 to 15 will die, according to the CDC. One in 5 people who recover can suffer from long-term disabilities such as loss of limbs, brain damage and deafness.

Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Teacher's meningitis death forces Colorado school to close temporarily