A student has died after contracting a strain of meningitis.

The Swiss teenager, who has not been named, died yesterday afternoon at Eastbourne District General Hospital. He was admitted to hospital on Saturday after falling ill with what has now been confirmed as menningoccal septicaemeia, a bacterial form of blood poisoning.

The 15-year-old's parents had flown over from Switzerland to be with their son and were at his bedside when he died. Meanwhile, friends of the teenager, who had been attending Didac Language School in Trinity Trees, Eastbourne, have been vaccinated against Grade-C meningitis.

East Sussex, Brightonand Hove Health Authority has alerted other students to the bug but say the death is an isolated case and there is no need for other parentstoworry. Grade C meningitis is a bacterial form of the

disease and can only be passed on by close contact such as kissing.

Symptoms include sickness, high temperature, headaches, stiffness, drowsiness and fits. The student who lost his four-day battle against the bug was staying with a host family in the Eastbourne area. The teenager was under intensive care before his parents gave consent for his life support machine to be switched off at around 1pm yesterday.

Arrangements are being made to fly his body back to Switzerland. A special helpline has been set up to answer concerns from worried parents.

The number is 0845 6000 800.

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