Oct. 21, 1997

No sign of bacteria found in test on dead teen-ager

HEALTH: The mystery surrounding the El Modena High student's sudden death remains.

By BILL RAMS
The Orange County Register

SANTA ANA — A test to determine whether an El Modena High School student died of a rare bacterial disorder came back negative, health officials said Monday.

Brittany Madore, 16, died Oct. 7 after suffering flu-like symptoms that quickly caused her hands to swell, her eyes to shut and her skin to turn a dark red, family members said.

Officials believed it was meningococcal bacteria, a rare disorder that has killed at least three Orange County teen-agers in the past year.

Although tests showed no evidence of the bacteria, officials still believe that's what killed her.

``It's still the most likely cause of death, we just haven't been able to confirm that yet,'' said Dr. Hildy Meyers, chief epidemiologist for the Orange County Health Care Agency.

Meyers said she will check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta to see if there are any other tests that can be done.

Family members said they want to learn the exact cause of Madore's death so they can move on.

``It would bring a litte more closure to us all,'' said Chris Ruen, 25, her stepbrother.

Ruen said whatever killed his younger sister severely disfigured her.

``She didn't look like my cute, litte sister,'' said Ruen, a part- time firefighter. ``This thing was disfiguring.''

A junior at El Modena, Madore had hoped to become a masseuse and enjoyed drawing and dancing.

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