Officials Look into Westville Toddler's Death

Health officials in Vermilion County believe a toddler died from a highly infectious disease. Three-year-old Zoey Troutman from Westville died Sunday at Carle Hospital after what started out as a high fever. Now health officials believe bacterial meningitis claimed the little girls life. Stephen Laker, the director of the Vermilion County Health Department, says if Zoey Troutman tests positive for bacterial meningitis shell be the fourth case in his 30 years at the health department. He says her case was so aggressive she fell ill and passed away in a little more than half a day. Laker says, “The individual in question had a rapid progression of disease. On set to demise was 16 hours or less.” Laker says the worst part about a sporadic case like this one is finding out how Zoey got sick. Laker adds, “The individual was obviously exposed to the disease, acquired the disease, incubated the disease and had a very rapid progression of illness but exactly where it came from, well probably never know.” Bacterial meningitis is spread through intimate human contact like kissing and sharing food.