The chance of a child developing meningococcal infection is extremely small

Health consultant Dr Pauline Upton

Students whose children attended the nursery, at Edinburgh's Telford College, have been sent letters advising them of the symptoms to watch out for.

Depute principal Greg Irving said a counselling service had also been set up for staff and students.

A spokesman for Lothian Health also revealed that close family contacts had been treated with antibiotics.

Public health consultant, Dr Pauline Upton, said: "The chance of a child developing meningococcal infection is extremely small.

"If someone's child becomes ill and they suspect meningitis or meningococcal septicaemia, they should contact their general practitioner immediately."

Parents have been issued with guidance

The health board said it has yet to establish what strain of the bacteria was involved but stressed that children injected with the meningitis C vaccine would be protected.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the brain lining and is mostly caused by bacteria and viruses.

Viral meningitis is more common than bacterial and is rarely life-threatening. It is usually caught through poor hygiene, coughing and sneezing. It cannot be treated with antibiotics and most people who have it make a full recovery.

There are two main types of bacterial meningitis: meningococcal and pneumococal.

Meningococcal meningitis is the most common in the UK and the source of most recent reports. There are between 2,500 and 3,000 cases a year in the UK. Most do not cause lasting damage, but, in a few cases, sufferers may die

Purple bruises

Most people do not become seriously ill, but some can develop a fever, headache, vomiting, stiff neck and a red rash which looks like red pin pricks.

These develop into purple bruises, blood blisters or blood spots. If symptoms develop, urgent medical attention should be sought.

Meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia are caused by different strains of the meningitis bacteria.

A vaccine for the C strain of the disease has reduced by 85% the number of cases of disease among target groups since it was introduced in the UK last year.

More than 15 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the UK to babies and teenagers - the highest risk groups - during the past 10 months.

But the B strain of the disease, for which there is no current vaccine, is responsible for approximately 60% of cases of meningococcal disease in the UK.