Recognising the symptoms of Meningitis could save your life. TOM SPENDER reports

When 16-year-old Victoria Bradburn returned from celebrating the end of her GCSEs in Majorca, no one realised how much danger she was in.

"Her glands were up and she had a sore throat and a headache," recalls her mother Pamela, of Ravenscroft Road, Barnet, a teacher at Foulds Primary School. "To start with I thought she was just under the weather and I neglected her for about three days.

"She got worse and pleaded with me not to leave her and go to school because she felt so ill."

Then Victoria's father thought of meningitis. "We took her to Barnet Hospital where she was ignored for about an hour until she was almost unconscious. Then they pulled out all the stops and were fantastic."

Victoria was transferred to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, the national centre for children with meningitis, where she received a massive dose of antibiotics. She remained unconscious for about a day before making a remarkable four-day recovery the fastest ever seen at St Mary's.

That was four years ago. In the disease's aftermath, Victoria suffered short-term loss of speech and violent mood swings that lasted about six months. But she was one of the lucky ones. Meningitis is a killer and it is on the increase.

With this in mind, the Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) has just launched its Get Up To Speed With Meningitis campaign to raise awareness about the disease among parents.

And as Linda Glennie, head of research and medical information at the MRF explains, it's particularly important to get the message out as the weather gets colder because that's when the vast majority of cases occur.

"Colds and flu make you more susceptible to infections such as meningitis because the back of the nose and throat where meningococcal bacteria enter the body are inflamed," she says. "Also, when it's cold people don't get out as much, places are more crowded, windows are closed and there is less air circulation."

Although everyone under 20 in Barnet should have been vaccinated against meningitis C in August last year, the vaccine offers no defence against the more common meningitis B. About 10 per cent of meningitis B cases end in death.

Once in the body, bacteria either attack the brain, causing meningitis, or the bloodstream, causing septicaemia.

Of the two, septicaemia is the more deadly because it can kill so quickly. A year ago, a young Mill Hill man was struck down with septicaemia on his 21st birthday and died the same night. At midday on September 7 last year, Luke Whitney complained of aching legs and joints. He also had diarrhoea and was vomiting. At about 8pm a doctor was called to their home in Marion Road and diagnosed severe food poisoning.

Soon after the doctor left, Luke's mother Liz took him to Barnet General hospital where he died three hours later.

Luke's mother Liz Whitney says it's vital to raise awareness about the disease. "Luke didn't have the usual symptoms. It's very quick and people just don't know enough about it," she said.

It's a point taken up by Mrs Glennie: "If parents are not aware there are two presentations of meningitis, they may think their child is okay if it doesn't have a headache or a stiff neck.But you don't ever get them with septicaemia.

"Septicaemia has more body symptoms and is not as easy to pick out unless there is an obvious skin rash," says Mrs Glennie.

"If parents are not aware there are two presentations of meningitis, they may think their child is okay if it doesn't have a headache or a stiff neck. But you don't ever get them with septicaemia," says Mrs Glennie.

In Luke's case, the disease fooled even the doctor because no rash had yet appeared, even though he was just hours from death. Rashes sometimes do not develop until late in septicamia cases and in some meningitis cases like Victoria Bradburn's they do not occur at all.

Mrs Glennie says vigilance is the key for parents.

"If someone develops a rash which doesn't go away when you press on it with the side of a glass they need medical attention right away," she says. "About one in 10 people are carrying the meningitis bug in the back of their throats, but most of us don't get ill. The majority of victims are just young children who are too young to have become resistant.

"The vaccine that protects against meningitis C is fantastic I dread to think what the figures would be if we didn't have it. But it is important not to be complacent. Meningitis B is still here and it is still rising."

She is echoed by Mrs Bradburn, whose daughter Victoria is now studying medicine at Guy's and St Thomas's Hospital in London Bridge.

"Know the symptoms. And don't wait get medical advice."

For a free information pack, call the 24-hour Meningitis Research Foundation helpline on 080 8800 3344 and visit their website at www.meningitis.org

October 24, 2001 17:30