Symptoms of meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia are quite difficult to spot as they are very similar to those of flu, and vary between age groups.
The symptoms may develop over one or two days, but in some cases it could be in a in a matter of hours. The incubation period is between two and ten days.
Brand-new research has identified a number of early symptoms for meningococcal disease - the bacterial form of meningitis - in children that could substantially speed up diagnosis. These include:
- Leg pain
- Cold hands and feet
- Abnormal skin colour
However, if you can't identify these early signs then we advise people to look out for the 'classic' symptoms of the disease:
- Fever and high temperature
- Bad headache
- Stiff neck
- Severe aversion to bright lights
- Vomiting and sometimes diarrhoea
Symptoms do not appear in any particular order and some may not appear at all. It is important to remember that different symptoms may occur in different people.
And remember: adults are not immune.