The BBC's Valerie Jones reports from Pontypridd

But meningitis campaigners are warning that inaccurate reporting of the outbreak has spread panic among parents.

Health officials in Pontypridd declared the emergency after the third death caused by the condition.

One of those who died was 15-year-old Gareth Gould. Another schoolboy, who attended the same comprehensive as the dead teenager, is in a criticial condition in hospital.

On Monday it emerged that a female teacher in the area had died of meningococcal septicaemia, the deadly form of group C meningitis.

Dr Robert Booy describes the symptoms

The woman, who was in her fifties and worked in the Rhydyfelin area of Pontypridd, died within four hours of being admitted to the intensive care unit of East Glamorgan Hospital.

Bro Taf health authority has confirmed that another woman from Rhydyfelin also died of meningococcal septicaemia a couple of weeks ago but that there was no connection.

Precautions

Several children at schools in the Pontypridd area have been affected. One of the pupils died last week and another is critically ill.

One other child from the area is critically ill but improving in hospital and at least four others are in East Glamorgan hospital.

Several others have attended the hospital's casualty department and been sent home.

The BBC's Valerie Jones talks to concerned mothers in Wales

Some 1,600 pupils and teachers at Coedylan Upper and Lower schools and at Trerobert primary school in Pontypridd are being given antibiotics.

Doctors are are also issuing antibiotic tablets at Coedylan's primary school building, which is four miles from the senior school.

Coedylan school is closing as soon as the immunisation programme is complete. It will stay closed until after half term.

Peter James, chairman of the governors at the school, stressed that health officials had followed guidelines on how to treat the disease and had taken action as soon as it was clear that there was a general problem in the community.

John Owen-Jones, junior health minister for Wales, told the Commons on Tuesday that two helplines had been set up for people in the area.

He warned all parents to be vigilant and said extra vaccines and antibiotics had been brought into the area to ensure adequate supplies were available.

Doctors say they are trying to limit the spread of the outbreak. They say there have been no new school cases since Saturday, but do not expect to give an all-clear until the weekend because of the bug's incubation period.

Panic

The Meningitis Research Foundation said it had been overwhelmed with calls from worried parents, who had "panicked" after reading reports that the Wales outbreak was caused by a new "superstrain" of meningitis C.

A spokeswoman said the strain was not new and had been around for four years.

"People have been panicking and we have tried to calm them down. The levels of risk are very small and we have to get it into perspective, although it is important for parents to know the symptoms."

There are two main strains of meningitis, groups B and C.

Both are treatable with antibiotics if they are caught early.