A FIRST-year student at Southampton University has fallen victim to the potentially lethal brain bug meningitis.

A university spokesman confirmed the woman, who is not being named at the request of her parents, fell ill at the weekend while away from the city and rushed to hospital. She is now recovering and in a "stable condition".

She was residing at Connaught Hall in Swaythling, alongside 300 other students, mostly in their first year.

University officials confirmed the 18-year-old student had been vaccinated against the group C strain of the killer bug, but this is estimated to be only 60 per cent effective.

It is still not clear whether the patient, whose home address is not being revealed, is suffering from the C or B strain of the bug.

The university was home to the worst ever campus outbreak of the disease in the country two years ago when three students died and three were left seriously ill. Two more students were left battling the virus last autumn.

Spokesman Peter Reader said university chiefs had expected at least one student to fall ill this term.

He added: "We are now into the fifth week of term and at a university of this size we know we can expect one or two cases per year. Given that meningitis tends to be an autumn or winter disease, we were preparing for one case this term.

"We are now providing support for the students and, importantly, the parents of the girl."

Southampton's experience at battling the disease has been adopted by Ucas, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service.

Southampton started advising its students to get vaccinated last year. Around 90 per cent of its students are believed to have done so and the university's crisis management process and the students' union has now swung into overdrive to warn them not to be complacent.

Meetings have been held at Connaught Hall and notes put out via e-mail to warn students of the symptoms.

Union welfare officer Stephen Day said: "We hope this is an isolated case and those close to the student have been treated with antibiotics. We have to make sure students who have had the vaccine aren't complacent. If you catch meningitis early, it can be cured."

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