The Disease
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. It is usually caused by infection but can also arise due to certain drugs. Suspected Meningitis can be fatal and is treated as a medical emergency.
Meninigitis is often associated with blood poisoning, which is also extremely serious. Although most people recover from the disease, they can be left deaf or blind. For others it can be fatal.
Because Meningitis symptoms occur so rapidly and can be confused with other, lesser conditions, it can be difficult to tell if someone is suffering from the condition.
If your child is suffering from a range of symptoms including headache, neck stiffness, fever, confusion, an avoidance of bright light of loud noises, then you should seek medical advice immediately.
In small children, it can be more difficult to diagnose Meningitis - irritability and drowsiness, for example, may be the only symptoms of the condition.
One serious form of meningitis is Meningitis C, which is caused by a bacterial infection.
This used to cause about one third of all cases of meningitis, but since routine vaccination for the disease was introduced in 1992, the condition has been almost eradicated from the UK.
If your child has not been vaccinated for the disease and is suffering from a rash in addition to these symptoms mentioned above, it could be meningitis C.
One way to tell is to press a glass tumbler against the rash - if it does not fade and shows through the glass then call a doctor immediately.
For more information on Meningitis, visit these websites:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Communicablediseases/MeningitisC/index.htm