Health officials: Q'bury teen likely did not have contagious bacterial meningitis

Warren County health officials say the death of a 16-year-old student-athlete should no longer be considered a public health threat. Tests found that John Vasiliou likely did not have contagious bacterial meningitis, but what exactly caused the infection that led to his death may never be known. Erin Vannella reports.

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QUEENSBURY, N.Y. -- Parent Susan Mattison said, "I think the school did a great job on getting the message out there that this could be potentially meningitis, and they did all the precautions that they could."

Mattison's son, Austin, played football with would-be Queensbury junior John Vasiliou, the 16-year-old who died Tuesday from a serious infection. After his death was announced, she's keeping a closer eye on her own.

She said, "I also got my son the medicine that they gave out at the hospital, I went and brought him there this morning."

It's a precaution doctors continue to push for Vasiliou's teammates, given health officials' latest best guess that the teen died from a form of bacterial meningitis, although they said he was likely not contagious and his death should no longer be considered a public health threat.

School Physician Dr. Dan Larson said, "Based on the laboratory tests I've seen, his clinical course of such a rapid decline, very unlikely that it was anything else."

Warren County Public Health Advisor Dr. Dan Larson said tests for three separate bacteria came back negative, thus leaving open the possibility for meningitis. With no autopsy coming to confirm, the school is focusing on prevention.

Queensbury Schools Superintendent Dr. Douglas Huntley said, "On a daily basis, under normal circumstances, we do a thorough cleaning. In this case, we're doing a super cleaning."

From locker rooms to water bottles to mouth guards, the school said it's acting fast to keep kids safe - and to keep parents informed along the way.

Mattison said, "Being a parent of a child, I feel really bad for the parents who lost their child, but I'm really glad they put that information out there so that we all can be precautious of our children as well."

The football team will play their Saturday game in Vasiliou's honor. Meanwhile, calling hours are planned for Monday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Regan & Denny Funeral Home in Queensbury.

Anyone with questions can contact the Warren County Public Health at (518) 761-6580.