Locals Worried About Teen's Fatal Illness

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. -- St. Johns County health officials still don't know why 15-year-old McKenzie Wilson died so suddenly.
When asked if the public needs to be concerned about about a contagious health condition, Brenda Solar, a health department spokeswoman said, "Because we don't have a definitive result, it's not a cause for concern at this point."Health officials said it would likely take one to two weeks before they know Wilson's exact cause of death. They said nothing at this point suggests a public health concern.Still, close friends and classmates of Wilson said they are concerned.

Video: Some Concerned About Fatal Illness

Channel 4 has received dozens of e-mails from viewers wondering how the Bolles High School sophomore died and if the health condition is contagious."What about babies under 12 months? What should we do to prevent them from getting sick?" Ashley wrote on Channel 4's Facebook page.Scott Stacies said she's worried about a mosquito-borne illnesses, saying, "I don't let the kids go out around dusk. My son has gotten staph infections two times from mosquito bites.""We have to follow the science," Solar said. "There's tests involved. You have to wait for test results. You have to wait for certain scientific tests to be completed."Health officials have warned the public not to jump to conclusions, and they said they admit they're walking a fine line between protecting Wilson's family's privacy and protecting the public."In deference to the family, we have to respect their privacy. We have to watch how we proceed," Solar said. "By the same token, if there's anything that the public needs to be made aware of, we have to do that as well."

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