Boy in meningitis scare (From Western Telegraph)

Boy in meningitis scare

An eight-year-old boy from Milford Haven Junior School with a suspected case of meningitis has been taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

The boy is thought to be suffering from the bacterial form of the disease, which is rarer and more serious than the viral form.

He was admitted to hospital on Friday and is said to be in a stable condition.

Dr Mac Walapu, consultant in public health for Dyfed Powys Health Authority, said the boys school and local GPs had been informed.

He said: Meningitis is a relatively rare condition but symptoms to look out for include, fever, nausea and vomiting, stiff neck, back and joint pain, severe headache, sensitivity to light and sometimes a rash of tiny red bruises which remain red when pressed.

Some of these symptoms may resemble flu but if you have taken over-the-counter remedies to ease them and they still persist, consult your GP. However, if you have a stiff neck, sensitivity to light and/or a rash, you should seek urgent medical attention.

He added: With children, the most obvious signs are that they do not want to eat, are vomiting, feverish and lethargic. They may have a pale and blotchy complexion and sometimes a rash.