A teen in Virginia died suddenly on Tuesday. On Friday, public health officials in Ashburn stated that the teen had meningococcal meningitis. Meningococcal meningitis is a rare but serious infection of the tissues that can be caused by viruses. The infection causes the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord to become inflamed.

The teen who died was 18-year-old Madison Small. Madison was a student at Broad Run High School in Ashburn. As per reports by wusa9. com, Madison was also a senior team captain, appeared fine as she played catch Sunday night with her father. Monday night, she became violently ill. After that, she was rushed to a local hospital.

Ed Steele, Small's coach, said that he came to know about Small's illness when he received a mail on early Tuesday from her father that Madison would not be able to play in that night's game. After some hours, her father called Steele and informed that Madison had died.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), meningococcal meningitis is a highly contagious illness, which includes symptoms like vomiting, nausea, confusion and sensitivity to light. The infection can be transmitted by respiratory. Symptoms of the infection could appear quickly within three to seven days after exposure, according to the federal agency.

As per reports, it is still not clear how 18-year-old Madison Small became infected. Dr. David Goodfriend, Director of the Loudoun County Health Department, said, "Our thoughts are with the family during this very difficult time. The Health Department is evaluating all of the reports that we received to identify whether anyone is at an increased risk of infection".

The reports stated that when the teen became infected, she had returned from a week-long spring break.