The Meningitis Trust has launched Wash Your Hands Week to warn people how to reduce the risk of catching the lesser known viral meningitis.

Nick Riddle, 36, from Kington Langley, contracted the disease two years ago in America and spent more than four months recovering.

Mr Riddle was living with his wife Joanne Morton, 30, and their then two-year-old daughter Eve in America and they were spending a summer holiday in southern Michigan.

"We were staying near a fresh water lake and I got bitten by a lot of mosquitoes. I spent a lot of time in the water trying to get away from them. I found out later that the water was dirty and there was an E-coli outbreak in the area," said Mr Riddle.

About a month later Mr Riddle developed flu-like symptoms, severe headaches and was vomiting for four days. He then went back to work and about a week later he was ill again.

"I had a very stiff neck and I could not look at light. I could hardly walk," said Mr Riddle.

His wife drove him to the doctor who suspected viral meningitis and told him to go to the hospital straight away.

"I didn't know there were two types of meningitis and I didn't know the difference between viral and bacterial," said Mr Riddle.

"It was very scary for my wife and daughter. It was not life threatening but we did not know that to begin with.

"There was no treatment for it and they could only prescribe for the pain. You just have to let it work itself out. With bacterial meningitis they give you a course of antibiotics but there was nothing they could give me.

"My wife was pretty distraught. I was pretty concerned for a while and I do feel lucky."

Mr Riddle stayed in hospital for several weeks and then was bedridden at home for another two weeks.

"It took more than four months to get back to normal and I got tired very quickly," he said.

Last year the family moved back to Britain but Mr Riddle still remembers his experience vividly.

The Meningitis Trust said many people did not know about the viral form of the disease. They said the risk of catching it could be reduced by good personal hygiene.

Philip Kirby, the trust's chief executive, said: "Many viruses can cause viral meningitis. One group of viruses called enteroviruses, which live naturally in the bowel, can be passed on through poor hygiene such as not washing your hands."

A baby who attends Leapfrog Nursery in Chippenham is now recovering after being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis three weeks ago. Leapfrog has advised parents there is no increased risk of other children in the nursery developing the illness.