A WOMAN has died from a rare strain of meningitis less than 72 hours after falling ill.

Sharon Beard, 33, died of the C-strain of the disease, prompting health officials to treat her family and friends with antibiotics to prevent the bug spreading.

The victim was taken to Blackburn Infirmary from her home at Acorn Lodge Stables, off the A59, Clayton-le-Dale, when her family discovered she was too ill to get out of bed.

She died two days later after failing to respond to treatment. Her family and friends have been given antibiotics to prevent them contracting the bug, and public health officials say they could also be vaccinated.

Sharon died on June 3 and her funeral was held last Saturday in Ulverston, Cumbria, where she grew up.

Her brother, Shaun, 40, said Sharon had gone to bed early on the Saturday before her death and her family called paramedics when she was found to be seriously ill on Sunday morning.

She had three brothers and a sister and lived at home with her family, helping to take care of the house. She was unmarried and had no children.

Shaun said: "It's a real tragedy. Sharon was only 33 and she was very happy and jolly all the time. She was the baby of the family. She lived at home and helped out around the house. She was very close to all her family and was a very close aunt to my two children.

"Meningitis is a terrible disease. Nobody knew the symptoms and it wasn't until the Sunday afternoon the doctors told us she was being treated for it."

Dr John Astbury, of East Lancashire Public Health Network, said the strain of the bug which killed Ms Beard was meningitis C and all necessary public health protection measures had been taken.

He said antibiotics had been given to immediate contacts of Ms Beard which may be followed by a course of vaccinations, and anyone under 25 had been immediately vaccinated.

He said it was extremely rare to contract the C strain of the bug because that was the one most commonly vaccinated against. He said it was carried by up to ten per cent of the population and it was virtually impossible to say why it affected one specific person.

An inquest was opened yesterday and adjourned to September 9.