The parents of a Coquitlam teenager who died of bacterial meningitis this week say he first became ill last week, but it only appeared to be a cold or the flu.

As a result, they didn't take him to hospital until early Tuesday morning after his condition worsened. Brodie Campbell, 15, died in hospital less than four hours later.

Brodie Campbell, 15, died of bacterial meningitis, say health officials.
(CBC)

His mother and father are hoping other families don't make the same mistake and are warning other parents to take their children to hospital if they appear sick.

"If we had to do this again, in a blink of an eye, we would have gone to emergency, just for the assurance of knowing that he did have only a cold or only a flu," said Colin Campbell.

"Many friends so well-intended, have asked, 'Is there anything we can do?' And the only thing we want, we want our son back. That's all. And we know that's not going to happen," said the grieving father.

"We would urge parents not to panic, but not to overlook what might be potentially deadly symptoms," said Brodie's mother, Judith Osbourne, calling him the "centre of our existence."

Grief counsellors were on hand at Dr. Charles Best Secondary School in Coquitlam on Wednesday to help students cope with the loss of the Grade 10 student who was described by students and teachers as a friendly, popular athlete.

As a precaution, about 50 people close to Brodie have been given antibiotics by health officials, who say there's very little chance anyone else has been infected. 

The meningococcal bacteria can be spread by direct contact with the saliva of an infected person, but there is no extra risk from casual contact or being in the same room.

The symptoms include fever, a severe headache, stiff neck, nausea, sleeplessness, sensitivity to bright lights, respiratory infection and a reddish-purple bruise-like rash.