Parents offered reassurance after two children die of meningitis (From Harrow Times)

Parents offered reassurance after two children die of meningitis

4:15pm Wednesday 31st March 2004 in News By Alex Melvin

LOCAL health authorities have assured worried parents that the borough is not on the brink of a meningitis epidemic after two children died of the disease within a month.

Two others recovered after treatment.

A five-year-old girl, a pupil of St Bernadette's Roman Catholic primary school in Clifton Road, Queensbury, died on February 12, and a four-year-old boy who attended South Harrow Methodist Pre-School became the second victim on March 11.

In a fifth incident, a five-year-old pupil of St Anselm's Roman Catholic primary school in Roxborough Park, Harrow-on-the-Hill, was last week discharged from hospital after initial fears of meningitis proved unfounded. The youngster was a classmate of the sister of the four-year-old victim.

Harrow Primary Care Trust (PCT) has not yet identified what caused that illness, but stressed the school was safe.

St Anselm's headteacher Shelagh Kelly said: "The NW London Health Protection Unit is providing information which we will issue to all parents. It also advises that we keep the school open."

The unit isolates suspected victims and screens close family contacts.

Harrow PCT emphasised that the recent cases were not linked, and a spokesman said: "There is no need for alarm, but parents and carers should be aware of the symptoms."

Symptoms include severe headaches, high temperatures, neck stiffness, dislike of bright lights, a severe flu-like illness, drowsiness and red-purple spots or bruising.

Meningitis, inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, can kill within hours, although the viral strain is almost never fatal. One deadly strain can be treated with vaccines.