Kenosha County Medical Examiner Dr. Mark Witeck is working with a private lab and the state Department of Public Health to try to determine exactly what type of virus attacked 18-year-old Sam Schissel’s heart.

Schissel, a former Bradford High School baseball standout, died Saturday in his mother’s Somers home after a 10-day bout with flu-like symptoms.

Witeck conducted an autopsy Monday, concluding that some sort of viral illness spread to Schissel’s heart. Witeck said he does not believe the death was at all related to the H1N1 swine flu virus.

On Wednesday, the medical examiner said he is now awaiting test results from the private and state labs. That information will not likely arrive for several days or weeks, Witeck said.

A visitation for Schissel will be 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. today, with a Mass to follow, in the Bradford High School auditorium, 3700 Washington Road.

Schissel was a star pitcher on the 2008 state champion Bradford baseball squad. He died a day before his 19th birthday.

Witeck said instances of a virus attacking one’s heart in this manner are very rare.

He said death should not occur if an individual’s heart is not compromised, and he said Schissel, by all accounts, was a healthy person.

“As far as I know, he was a normal, healthy kid,” Witeck said.

Witeck said Schissel saw a doctor after he became ill, and tests indicated he was not suffering from strep throat or mononucleosis.

The medical examiner said a bacterial illness cannot be ruled out as the cause of Schissel’s death, but he added that it is far more common for viral illnesses to spread the way it appears Schissel’s body was attacked.

Witeck said Schissel’s experience is not consistent with any known cases of swine flu.

“It’s pretty much as we’ve already said: It looks like he started with a viral syndrome that went to his heart,” Witeck said. “That’s very unusual, and, as far as we know, it’s not typical with swine flu.”