People are being urged not to second guess symptoms of meningococcal  disease

A teenager from Shirley Boys' High School in Christchurch was taken to hospital on Tuesday after contracting the illness.

He'd had been at a rugby tournament in Dunedin from August 24 to 28, before returning to school.

Meningitis Foundation chair Gerard Rushton is advising parents to check on their children, as there is a risk the disease has spread.

He says meningitis can kill within 24 hours and the symptoms are similar to the flu, so treatment often comes too late.