Ananova:

A baby boy is recovering from meningitis after he was one of two children in the same creche found to have a rare bacteria.

Health officials were carrying out inquiries into the incident after the children, aged 13 months and 15 months, fell ill with infections caused by the Hib bacteria.

Both youngsters, who attend a Northamptonshire nursery, had been immunised soon after birth against Haemophilus Influenzae b (Hib), which can cause meningitis and septicaemia.

The baby boys, who had started at the Toy Box Nursery in Wellingborough only three weeks ago, were diagnosed with the Hib infections at the end of June.

They were taken to Kettering General Hospital, one suffering from meningitis and the other from a septic infection in his ankle.

Tests revealed the boys had fallen ill as a result of an infection caused by the Hib bacteria, despite both undergoing a full immunisation programme.

Dr Patrick Morgan, Northamptonshire's consultant in communicable disease control, said: "There doesn't appear to have been any failure in the vaccine and to have two children at the same nursery affected by Hib is very unusual."

It is believed that children at the Toy Box Nursery carry no further risk of infection by the bacteria than anyone else.

However, as a precautionary measure, each of the 93 children and 16 staff are being given a four-day course of antibiotics and throat swabs and details of their vaccination histories are being checked.

Nursery manager Andy Mahon said: "We spoke to the parents of both children yesterday and they are doing fine. We are more than happy to help Dr Morgan and his team with their research into this area."

Story filed: 15:34 Tuesday 9th July 2002

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