CHILD of two has died and another is seriously ill after a suspected meningitis outbreak at a Brighton nursery school.

All 52 youngsters at the Sunshine Nursery in Eastern Road are being given antibiotics after the two-year-old died at Guy's Hospital in London.

The second child was taken to Brighton's Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital yesterday morning with symptoms resembling those of the killer disease.

The nursery in Eastern Road will be closed today and tomorrow while the children and 12 members of staff are given antibiotics as a precaution.

Parents have been warned to be extra vigilant in the face of the rare occurrence of two cases in one nursery.

In a separate incident, a second year Sussex University geography student is recovering at East Surrey Hospital, Redhill, after being diagnosed with suspected meningococcal septicaemia.

Dr Angela Iversen, consultant in communicable disease control at East Sussex, Brighton and Hove Health Authority, said experts were taking no chances with the latest outbreak.

She added: "With a single case of meningitis we give antibiotics to the immediate family and kissing contacts of those affected.

"But getting two cases together like this is very unusual, so we are going much wider.

"In Brighton, Hove and Lewes, we've had a large number of cases in 1999 so far, and if these two cases are confirmed that would make them the 13th and 14th this year.

"That's running high, as in the rest of the country, and it's likely that this will turn out to be as bad as our worst ever year."

Dr Iversen added that vaccination could not yet be considered, as the health authority did not know which form of meningitis, if any, was involved.

Worried parents left the nursery last night after a meeting to inform them of the situation, with medical staff on hand to offer advice.

One mother with a 17-month-old daughter, who would not be named, said: "We are all obviously very worried and have been advised to take antibiotics."

The university student, a 20-year-old man from Redhill in Surrey, was on the way home from a field trip to America when he was hit by ill health.

University spokeswoman Sue Yates said: "His mother, who is a staff nurse, noticed he had developed the distinctive meningitis rash.

"He is progressing very well in hospital at the moment and hopefully he could be discharged by Friday."

The three latest cases of suspected meningitis bring the total number so far this year in Sussex to 24.

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