NEWS RELEASE
Dec 29, 2000

Michigan Department of Community Health Announces Additional Testing Information

 

Michigan Department of Community Health Director, James K. Haveman, Jr., and Chief Medical Executive, Dr. David R. Johnson, today announced additional test results on the cause of death of Department employee Linda Reese. Laboratory work had already determined that the cause of death was meningococcemia, a bloodstream infection with the meningococcal organism.

"We continued our investigation and conducted DNA fingerprinting to see whether or not this particular strain matched any specimens with which Linda worked," said Johnson. "That DNA fingerprinting indicates a match with the DNA fingerprint on the meningococcal specimen from Tricia Zailo, the recently deceased Michigan State University student. We will now forward the samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for further studies."

Although the medical examiner has not yet formally declared Ms. Zailo's cause of death, it is clear that meningococcal disease was not the cause of her death. Meningococcal organisms, scientifically named Neisseria meningitidis, are relatively common. From time to time, some adults will carry these bacteria in their noses and throats without developing any symptoms, as seems to have been the case with Ms. Zailo.

However, for reasons that are not always clear, occasionally this germ can cause disease, either as meningitis, an inflammation of the linings around the brain and spinal cord, or as meningococcemia, a bloodstream infection that can be very aggressive.

The results of the DNA fingerprinting are supporting evidence that the germ Ms. Zailo carried without developing disease developed into a fatal form of meningococcemia in Mrs. Reese. When meningococcemia develops, it can be very aggressive with symptoms rapidly progressing over the course of several hours.

The DNA fingerprinting results also demonstrate that this particular strain has not been found in any other cases of meningococcal disease that have been previously investigated by the Department of Community Health laboratories.

As a microbiologist, Reese would receive bacteria strains from hospitals and health departments across the state and conduct specialized tests to identify and further characterize them. This kind of specialized testing is not commonly available outside of state public health laboratories, but can be very helpful in communicable disease investigations and control efforts.

Reese, 52, of Lansing, was a Microbiologist in the laboratories of the Michigan Department of Community Health and had worked for the State since 1972. She passed away Monday after first feeling ill on Sunday. Family members, close friends and co-workers who were in contact with her during the past week have received medicine to help prevent the disease.

The Department of Community Health laboratory is accredited by the Health Care Financing Administration and maintains rigorous quality assurance and health and safety programs. The Department will continue to review these standards to assure worker health and safety.