A CHARITY has issued a warning about the dangers of meningitis as students begin to return to school, college and university for a new term.

The Meningitis Trust is urging all parents, students and teachers to be vigilant of the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning).

Meningitis is an infectious disease that can kill within hours and leave some survivors with severe after-effects including brain damage, sight and hearing loss, and where septicaemia has occurred, limb loss and scarring.

While children under five are most "at risk" for meningitis, teenagers and students are the second most at risk group.

It is estimated that 10 per cent of the population carry the organism that causes meningitis, but this increases to 25 per cent for students.

Meningitis can be passed from person to person through coughing, sneezing or close personal contact such as kissing.

Harriet Penning, of the Meningitis Trust, said: "Shared accommodation arrangements, sitting in close confines and prolonged exposure to bacteria can all unfortunately lead to an increased risk of infection."

Identifying the signs and symptoms of meningitis can be difficult as they can easily appear like more common illnesses such as flu.

They include: fever with cold hands and feet, headache, stiff neck, dislike of bright light, drowsiness, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, confusion and in some cases a rash which doesn't disappear under pressure.

Symptoms can appear in any order and some may not appear at all.

The Meningitis Trust is asking people to learn the signs and trust their instincts if they suspect anything.

The trust produces free life-saving cards designed to fit inside your wallet, which display the signs and symptoms of meningitis.

To order one call the Meningitis Trust's freephone 24-hour nurse-led helpline on 0800 0281828.