A SCHOOL has gone on alert today after a pupil was struck with the killer meningitis virus.

Parents of pupils of St Wilfrid's CE High School, Blackburn, have been warned to be on the look-out for signs of the potentially deadly meningococcal strain of the virus after a case was reported yesterday.

It is believed the pupil is a girl from the lower sixth form and is being treated in hospital.

Doctors say she is "doing fine" and her relatives and close friends are being treated with a course of antibiotics as a precaution.

It is the second time the school has been touched by the disease - last year former pupil Karen Leecy died aged just 19.

Today parents are being urged to send their children to school as usual.

Head teacher Linda Robinson has written to every parent to inform them about the case and warn them to be on the look-out for symptoms in their children.

She said: "We have a case of meningitis in school.

"All parents were immediately informed and issued with advice.

"The school is monitoring the situation and we will keep parents closely involved if there are further developments."

Senior medical officer in public health, Dr Mira Biswas, says parents needn't panic.

She said: "The case happened over the weekend and the girl was taken to a Blackburn hospital for treatment.

"Other schoolchildren are not regarded to be close enough contacts to be a risk from contamination from her.

"The virus does not survive outside the human body for very long.

"Naturally parents of children at the school may be worried about their children's health.

"I would re-assure them that chances of another case of meningitis occurring at the school are low. "However, they should be aware of the symptoms of meningitis at all times as most cases occur in isolation."

Worried mother-of-five Christina Houghton is too frightened to send her 14-year-old son to school today.

She said: "Stephen has been off school with sickness anyway and that can be a symptom so I am extra worried about it.

"It is terrifying and I think the risk are just too great so Stephen won't be going back until I find out more."

The signs of meningitis include severe headaches, fever, a rash under the skin, stiff neck, eyes hurting in the light, drowsiness and vomiting. Parents should contact their GP immediately if their children develop these symptoms.

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