Officials: R.I. Toddler Died of Invasive Strep

The Rhode Island Department of Health says a toddler who died earlier this week had an invasive streptococcal infection, not a meningococcal bacterial infection as originally suspected.

The state health director, Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, said the department confirmed the cause of death Thursday.

Alexander-Scott says the child developed a rare complication of a very common type of streptococcal infection, commonly called strep. She says the public health standard is to treat a suspected bacterial infection as meningococcal.

She says there's no threat to public health.

The 13-month-old child died Tuesday. The child's name hasn't been released.

Thirteen children at Children's Workshop in Warren, the victim's day care, were given antibiotics for meningococcal bacteria as a precaution. The Health Department worked with the day care to identify the victim's close contacts.