Symptoms include high fever with cold hands and feet, vomiting, drowsiness, confusion, irritability, severe headache, stiff neck, sensitivity to bright lights, severe muscle pain, pale blotchy skin and rash, seizures and loss of consciousness. Babies and young children are most at risk, and they may also exhibit the following symptoms, refuse feeds, get agitated and not want to be picked up, drowsy, floppy and unresponsive, grunt or breathe rapidly, unusual high-pitched or moaning crying and tense bulging soft spot on their head (fontanelle).Infection is also common in teenagers. The rash is usually red spot which becomes purple bruising and doesn’t fade when a clear glass is rolled over it and is caused by meningococcal septicaemia (blood poisoning).