Sara Manitoski, 16, was on a school retreat in Vancouver last year where she was found unresponsive in her bed. She died of toxic shock syndrome according to province’s coroner service report.
The teen from British Columbia was on the trip to Hornby Island, off Vancouver Island in March of 2017. When her bunk-mates awoke and found her still in bed they left to go to breakfast.
When they returned, she hadn’t moved and appeared lifeless as her alarm was going off.
Sara Manitoski, 16, was on a trip with her school in 2017. When she didn’t wake up for breakfast her bunk-mates figured she was sleeping in- when they returned they found her not moving, with her alarm going off
The province’s coroner service released a report this week that she died of toxic shock syndrome
The report on Manitoski’s death was completed in March, but was made public this weel
Georges P. Vanier Secondary School staff, students and emergency responders performed CPR to no avail.
The grade 11 student could not be revived.
The report says a strain of staphylococcus aureus on a tampon found in place, as well as other symptoms consistent with toxic shock syndrome were likely a causal factor.
‘We know there is an association. And again, it’s very rare,’ Island Health Medical Health Officer Dee Hoyano told CTV Vancouver Island on Monday.
‘Certainly we know a person needs to have this particular bacteria to get sick, and then there may be something with tampon use, maybe prolonged tampon use, that puts that risk higher for developing a more widespread infection.’
Symptoms of TSS are similar to the flu, with high fever nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, fainting, and disorientation.