BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio -- A case of meningitis at an area hospital left one seriously ill and another dead just two days after giving birth.

Officials said both women began showing symptoms of the infection while in the maternity ward at Mary Rutan Hospital in Bellefontaine.

Hospital officials said they are searching for clues about what caused the meningitis.

They said there is no danger to the immediate community because bacterial meningitis is not contagious person to person, and even the CDC is baffled by the case.

Two women came into the Mary Rutan Hospital to deliver babies last Thursday night.

Mandy Goble, spokesperson for Mary Rutan Hospital said everything was normal when the woman arrived. "Babies were healthy, moms were healthy," said Goble.

Just hours later, hospital officials said both women began having problems in the maternity ward, including nausea and headaches.

"They became progressively worse and were transferred to our ICU and then on to Riverside for further treatment," said Goble.

One woman, 30-year-old Susan Finch Ryan Simpson died Saturday of bacterial meningitis two days after giving birth to her second daughter. The other woman is still listed in critical condition.

Hospital officials said the women did not share rooms and did not know each other.

Goble said, "The only commonality is both received spinal anesthia."

The staff at Mary Rutan is no longer administering the anethesia since the incident. They have quarantined the supplies and medications used during both deliveries and are working with state and federal health experts to find out what went wrong.

"Our hearts go out to the patients and families, what they have gone through and are going through," said Goble.

Some said no answers will fill the void left in the lives of those families.

Inez Tudor of Bellefontaine said, "How's it going to be their happy time now? That little child not ever know its mother?"

The good news is that, so far, the babies are doing fine in a Columbus hospital.