Cherokee Student Will Be Missed

A south New Jersey high school is mourning the death of a student who died Thursday after contracting meningitis.

Jeff Burd, 16, was a junior at Cherokee High School in Marlton, N.J. The county health office had to run tests to confirm the type of meningitis that killed Burd and found it was bacterial meningitis. Both viral and bacterial meningitis and both can be deadly.

Burd had a fever of 104 when he collapsed in the kitchen. He was rushed to the hospital and a few hours later he was dead.

"He was just a terrific, talented, charismatic and fine young man. We'll be suffering his loss here at Cherokee for quite a long time," said one member of the faculty.

"I was sad when I heard about it, like, when I went to the class, I was really sad because our teacher held up a picture of him. It was kind of sad. Everyone was crying," said a fellow student.

Burd took advanced placement courses and he played on the tennis and hockey teams.

There are almost 1,100 students at Cherokee High School, and some parents are worried that their kids can get sick, too.

Bacterial meningitis is deadly, but it is hard to pass. It is spread by water bottles, by kissing and by passing saliva. In fact, the health officer said that if you lived in the same house with Burd, the chances would be three in 10,000 that the immediate family would come down with it.

However, those people in close contact should take some precautions and get checked out.

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Author: NBC10