Jackee Coe, Jennifer Soules, and Philip Haldiman

About 80 percent of students did not attend school at a Peoria elementary school Wednesday after a first grader died of an unknown respiratory illness, but community members gathered there at a vigil for the child Wednesday night.

The mood was somber as parents left the candle light vigil for the boy, who has been identified as John Lucas "Luke" Smith, at Vistancia Elementary School.

Some who attended said they were close with the Smiths, who did not attend the vigil. Most said they didn't know the student but wanted to pay their respects and support the grieving.

Marne Fleck, a Peoria resident and high-school teacher, did not know Luke but said many of her students had attended Vistancia.

"It's heartbreaking, but we want the family to know that they are in our thoughts and prayers," Fleck said. "I know that if it were my child, my heart would be grieving."

Peoria residents Joe and Traci Kozlowski have children in fifth and eighth grade at Vistancia. Joe said the vigil was introspective and reflective.

Traci said the school has been on top of the incident.

"We're really sad for the family and the school has been great. But we're here for to support, and tonight is about the family," she said. "We are grieving with them."

County health officials are conducting a series of tests to determine illness that killed the boy, who died Tuesday after becoming ill over the weekend.

Officials said it would be at least seven days before the results.

Some parents have raised concerns that Smith had the enterovirus D68. An outbreak of the respiratory infection has affected nearly 700 people in 46 states and the District of Columbia since mid-August, according to the Center for Disease Control. There have been no confirmed cases in Arizona.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, Peoria school officials sought to reassure nervous parents at Vistancia Elementary School in the Northwest Valley, many of whom chose to keep their children home for a second day.

About 50 percent of the approximately 1,100 students enrolled at the elementary school were in attendance Tuesday, and that number dropped to 20 percent Wednesday, Peoria Unified School District spokeswoman Erin Dunsey said.

"There is a heightened concern from parents over things that are going on nationally, obviously, and parents do reserve the right to keep their child home if that's what they determine is best," she said.

School officials sanitized the school over the weekend after learning of the student's illness, and relocated some classes on Tuesday, Dunsey said.

"We're trying to ensure we have a safe and healthy environment for our staff and our students," she said.

By Wednesday morning, news had spread throughout the community near Loop 303 and Lone Mountain Parkway.

"Social media is great...but yesterday it was crazy. I heard rumors like meningitis, enterovirus," said Julie Mitchell, who was dropping off a second-grade student at the school on Wednesday morning. "People were saying the news media here were all wearing masks. That's the evil of social media — one person thinks they hear something and it gets blown out of proportion and parents panic and they don't even know what the facts are."

District officials have not had reports of other students with similar illnesses, but have reminded administrators that it is flu season and encouraged staff and students to take proper precautions to prevent the spread of diseases.

Those include washing hands with soap and water, avoiding the touching of eyes, nose and mouth, and coughing into an elbow instead of a hand.

Will Humble, director of Arizona Department of Health Services, confirmed that the state has sent specimen from the Peoria child to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing.

The Arizona Department of Health Services previously sent samples from other cases involving children with upper-respiratory illness, he said, but none of those turned out to be the D68 strain.

"Other states are having a more difficult time with enterovirus," Humble said.

Banner Cardon Children's Medical Center in Mesa has not noticed an increase in children with severe upper-respiratory illness, and no cases have been sent to the CDC for testing of enterovirus D68.

Maricopa County Public Health Department officials said even though the child's illness is unknown, all respiratory viruses, including enterovirus D68, are spread the same way as the common cold and flu and similarly can be prevented.

Those facts, and the knowledge that illnesses can be transmitted anywhere this time of year, made Mitchell comfortable bringing her daughter to the school Wednesday.

"I'm not concerned because you can get sick anywhere; at school, at the supermarket, at Target, the park, the library, there are germs everywhere," Mitchell said.

About enterovirus D68

The particular strain of enterovirus, known as EV-D68, began causing some concerns in mid-August when hospitals began seeing children with severe respiratory illnesses caused by the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The virus is not new.

Children are at a particular risk of infection because they have not yet built up an immunity to the virus, particularly children with asthma, according to the CDC.

Mild symptoms might include fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough and body and muscle aches, according to the agency.

More severe symptoms might include wheezing and difficulty breathing.

The agency lists the following steps to prevent spreading the virus:

Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. Washing hands correctly is the most important thing you can do to stay healthy.

Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid close contact, such as kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating utensils, with people who are sick.

Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or shirt sleeve, not your hands.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick.

Stay home when you are sick and keep sick children out of school.

Ken Alltucker contributed to this report