U.S. Air Force Cadet Dies from Rare Bacterial Infection

A U.S. Air Force cadet from Taylor, Texas, was found unconscious in her dormitory in September and later died from a rare bacterial infection complicated by an upper respiratory illness, according to an autopsy report.

Avery Koonce, 19, was killed by a bacterial infection called paeniclostridium sordellii, said the report from the El Paso County coroner in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

"This organism has been associated with a toxic-shock like syndrome that can rapidly progress to death," the autopsy said. It said Koonce "likely" already had bronchitis caused by the parainfluenza virus when she became infected with the bacteria. Koonce had a history of a chronic cough that had recently severely worsened, the autopsy said. It didn't say how long she had been sick or whether she was being treated for the illness. There were no drugs in her system when she died, the autopsy said.

The autopsy was completed Sept. 13.

Koonce did not respond to cardiopulmonary resuscitation when she was found unconscious in her dormitory at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs on Sept. 4, officials have said.

Koonce was a member of the U.S. Air Force class of 2028 and a member of the academy's women's track and field team. She was a graduate of Thrall High School where she competed in track and pole vaulting, was a cheerleader and president of the student council.