CARLSBAD, Calif. -- A kindergartener who attends Poinsettia Elementary School in Carlsbad is suspected of being infected with bacteria that can cause meningitis and other serious illness in children and adolescents, the county Health and Human Services Agency reported Saturday.

The student is believed to be carrying a type of meningococcal germ that can infect the blood and cause inflammation of the tissues covering the brain and spinal cord.

The child's most recent day at school was Jan. 30, and no symptoms of related disease have been reported in any other students at the school, county officials said. The time between exposure to the disease and the onset of symptoms is usually three to four days, with a range of two to 10 days.

Because no other cases have surfaced, officials are not recommending preventive antibiotics for pupils at the school, but are urging all parents to make sure that their children have received appropriate vaccination.

"Meningococcal disease is spread through close contact with the ill person," county Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten said. "Based on this student's attendance dates, there is an extremely low risk of infections for anyone (else) at the school. Parents should, however, be alert for any signs of infection and meningitis in their children caused by the meningococcal bacteria."

Symptoms may include fever, intense headache, stiff neck or a rash that does not blanch under pressure. Any parent whose child develops such symptoms should immediately contact their health-care provider or emergency room to arrange for an evaluation for possible meningococcal disease, as the infection is very serious and contagious.

A vaccine is available to prevent certain strains of the illness and is recommended for high-risk children and for all adolescents 11 to 18 years old.