A junior school in Bournemouth has been closed following one case of meningitis, according to a report by local media. The report suggests there may have been a second case, but this was not meningitis.
Rob Dawson, Director Communications, Advocacy and Support at Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) said, “Our thoughts are with the family of the affected child, and if they or anyone else in the Bournemouth area has questions or concerns can get in touch with MRF’s free helpline and support team on 080 8800 3344, or helpline@meningitis.org.”
“Experts say that school closure is not necessary following a case of meningitis. The risk of meningitis and septicaemia in UK children remains very low and 97 out of every 100 cases are isolated, with no link to any other cases."
“While the bacteria that cause the disease are very common, for most of us this is harmless. We pass the bacteria between each other by close contact (e.g. coughing, sneezing, kissing). Usually we have to be in very close or regular contact with someone for the bacteria to pass between us. Even when this happens, most of us will not become ill because we have natural immunity.”
Dr Bayad Nozad, Consultant in Communicable Disease control for Public Health England South West, said: “We would like to reassure parents, staff and the public that there isn’t an outbreak of meningitis at Queens Park Academy. We are aware of only one confirmed case who is recovering well and we have put all public health actions in place to ensure that close contacts are identified.