Leslie Griffith dead at 66 – KTVU anchor & Dennis Richmond co-star dies in Lake Chapala after lengthy Lyme disease fight
FORMER KTVU anchor Leslie Griffith has died after battling Lyme disease.
The veteran broadcaster, 66, was with the network for more than two decades and presented the 10pm news alongside now-retired journalist Dennis Richmond.
Griffith, who was from Texas, died in Lake Chapala, Mexico on August 10, family members said.
The reporter was bitten by a tick in Oregon in 2015 and contracted Lyme disease.
It's not clear if her battle with Lyme disease contributed to her death.
Sufferers of the bacterial infection often experience flu-like symptoms or a distinctive red rash between three and 30 days after they were bitten.
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It can cause agonizing joint pain, paralysis, cognitive issues, heart problems, and inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord.
Dozens of tributes have been paid to Griffith as news of her death emerged.
Former KTVU reporter John Sasaki said: “She was one of those really vibrant, vivacious, you know, very alive people.
"You always knew that she was there. She was just this really powerful figure in the newsroom."
Emmy-winning journalist Kevin Wing described Griffith as a "great friend".
He said: "Very sad night tonight. Leslie Griffith and I worked together at KTVU beginning in the late 1980s and we knew each other 35 years.
"She was a dear friend to me and a sweet gal and I’ll miss her terribly. Gone too soon. Rest in peace, dear Les. I’ll miss you."
CNN correspondent Sara Sidner said Griffith's death "hurts her heart".
She added: "She (Griffith) had such a wild & wonderful personality.
"She stood up for good reporting on so many occasions.
"She stood up for me on occasion too. She was a force of nature."
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Griffith left KTVU in 2006 and wrote for the Huffington Post, The Chronicle, the Associated Press, and Denver Post during her journalistic career.
She's survived by her two daughters Trenton and Carly, her adopted son Eric, and two grandchildren.