The Department of Health says tests reveal a second student from Stuyvesant High School who became ill does not have meningitis, as previously had been thought.

A school representative said a sophomore boy became ill yesterday and was put into quarantine at Bellevue Hospital.

The teen fell ill several days after the death of 17-year-old Ava Hecht.

Hecht passed away last Thursday. Tests today confirmed that she had bacterial meningitis.

Authorities are still seeking out anyone who may have come in close contact with Hecht, but say no one should panic.

"We tell them that this is a disease that's not easily transmitted," said Don Weiss of the Bureau of Communicable Disease. "And if they thought or had some close contact with this person, that we've been in contact with them over the last few days, we've had several calls from students and parents and we've evaluated each one. We've not determined that anyone at the school had that level of close contact with this patient."

Symptoms of bacterial meningitis include fever, chills, stiff neck, headache, rash, nausea or vomiting.

The rare disease only affects only about 30 to 50 New Yorkers each year.