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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Strep Caused Death Of Seattle Girl

From Staff Reports

A 7-year-old Seattle girl whose death originally was blamed on meningococcal meningitis actually died from a strep infection run wild.

Randi Robertson died Friday night after being flown by helicopter from the hospital in Republic, Wash., to Sacred Heart Medical Center.

Cultures from the girl resemble a strain of Group A streptococcal bacteria, said Dorothy McBride, director of community health services for the Northeast Tri-County Health District, which oversees Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties.

An Arizona lab will identify the exact strain of strep.

Randi was at a family reunion near Republic Wednesday when she started feeling sick.

It appears she died of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, first reported in 1987, which also killed Muppets creator Jim Henson.

Deadly strains of streptococcus are rare and produce a toxin that poisons skin and muscle tissue or internal organs, causing the body’s disease fighters to spiral out of control.

, DataTimes