"I can tell you this does not appear to be any type of traumatic death," Pellan said. "This looks like a medical cause."
A spokeswoman for All Children's Hospital declined to discuss details of the case, citing confidentiality laws.
Peak was "treated and discharged appropriately" from the DeSoto County hospital, said that hospital's spokeswoman, Annie Curnow.
"I can tell you that an array of tests were run," she said.
Outward Bound two weeks ago brought in environmental health specialists to evaluate the center and a campground where the boys had canoed earlier in the summer, Howard confirmed.
No public health risk has been found.
A check with the Centers for Disease Control shows that both strep and encephalitis infections can become severe and fatal.
Some 2 million cases of strep infection are reported each year, but only 9,000 cases are considered severe enough to be life-threatening, according to a report on the CDC's Web site.
Another CDC report indicates that encephalitis, which is borne by mosquitoes, can occur after or in combination with an unrelated infection.
Since Dillon's hospitalization, the Peace River facility moved boys from tents, which have wooden floors and house up to six campers, into dormitories, Howard said.
However, some of the boys may be moved back into the tents soon, once reports on environmental health are completed, he said.
The Peace River Outward Bound program is one of five juvenile rehabilitation programs operated by the contractor, Hurricane Island Outward Bound, based in Tallahassee.
The local facility is one of 10 residential facilities for low-risk juvenile offenders in the state. Low-risk offenders are typically those who have committed crimes no more serious than third-degree felonies.
The 35-bed Peace River facility currently houses 20 students and employs 25 staffers.
Typically, the facility's program takes six months to complete, but some boys take as long as a year, Howard said.
By GREG MARTIN
Staff Writer
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