Meningitis-Like Infection Blamed for 11 Year Old Girl’s Death in Iroquois County

There's been no decision about giving medication to classmates or other people who may have had contact with an eleven year old girl who died this week in Iroquois County.

The Champaign County coroner says a preliminary autopsy determined that Natalie Johnson of Loda died Tuesday of gram-negative bacterial sepsis - it's a blood infection similar but not identical to meningitis.

Coroner Duane Northrup says he's still waiting for confirmation of test results.

A spokeswoman for the Ford-Iroquois Public Health District says Natalie's family members have been given preventative medications against the contagious disease, but it's not known whether classmates or others will need to be treated.