TWO people are being treated in hospital after being struck down by suspected meningitis.

A 25-year-old woman from Darwen was today described as very poorly after being taken to hospital on Wednesday.

A schoolgirl, aged 16, from Blackburn, was also admitted to hospital on Wednesday, where she remains poorly.

Judith Roberts, of East Lancashire Health Authority, said the two cases were unconnected and that tests were being carried out on both patients.

She went on: "The usual precautions have been put into practice in both cases, but we are not issuing any specific advice, except to remind people of the symptoms of meningitis and urge them to always be on their guard."

Mrs Roberts added that there appeared to be no risk to staff or children at the teenager's school as she had been absent since before the Easter break.

The two cases come after East Lancashire was found to have an unusually high rate of meningitis infection, but the health authority has assured residents a vaccination programme has already started to reduce the number of cases of the killer disease.

Vaccinations to combat the group C strain of the infection began last autumn by administering jabs to teenagers and tots and early results revealed the number of people who fell ill with the disease between January and March this year, compared to last, fell from 26 to 19.

Four were confirmed as group C infections, but none fell within the immunised age groups. Dr Roberta Marshall, communicable disease consultant for the East Lancashire Health Authority, said the school health services and primary health care teams had now immunised 84 per cent of 15 to 17-year-olds in schools and 71 per cent of students in colleges of further education.

About 1,500 teenagers who had left education have also been vaccinated.

Dr Marshall added that although group C infections are less common, the strain is likely to kill and often occurs in clusters or outbreaks of the disease.

Official figures revealed that 19 cases were reported in East Lancashire in only four weeks last winter.

Symptoms to watch out for include a bright red rash, dislike of bright light, a stiffness in the neck and vomiting.