PARENTS with youngsters at a York secondary school have been contacted after a pupil contracted bacterial meningitis.

A student at Fulford School has been diagnosed with the condition and head teacher Lorna Savage has written to parents with medical advicse, stressing the “low risk to other students” and letting them know the signs and symptoms.

In her letter, Mrs Savage says: “The bacteria do not spread easily. However, those who have had prolonged close contact with a person with the illness are at slightly greater risk of infection.

“These contacts of the child have been identified and contacted. At the present time, no further action is necessary and there is no need for your child to have antibiotics or vaccine since it is very unlikely that any other students are at risk of infection.

“I would like to reassure parents that there is no additional risk to any other child or staff member because of this child’s illness. Children should continue to attend the school as usual.

“However, because meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia can be serious diseases, it is important to know what symptoms to look out for.”

Bacterial meningitis is very serious and should be treated as a medical emergency. If the bacterial infection is left untreated, it can cause severe brain damage and infect the blood, causing septicaemia.

The most common symptoms of the illness are fever, severe headache, vomiting, neck stiffness and a dislike of bright lights. Sometimes the illness is accompanied by a rash of red or purple spots. This is different to usual childhood rashes in that it does not fade when you press on it.

It can be tested by using a glass tumbler to press on the rash. Not all these signs and symptoms may show at once. The illness may progress over one or two days, but it can develop very rapidly, sometimes in a matter of hours.

Medical advice is to not wait for a rash to develop. If your child is unwell and getting worse, seek emergency medical help immediately.

Further information on meningococcal disease and meningitis is available from: NHS Direct, 0845 46 47; The National Meningitis Trust www.meningitis-trust.org, 0800 028 18 28 (24 hours); The Meningitis Research Foundation, www.meningitis.org, 0808 800 3344 (24 hours); or Public Health England and the Humber Health Protection Team on 01904 687100 (Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm).