Health officials have confirmed that the number of meningitis cases linked to an outbreak in Kent has risen to 15, with all patients requiring hospital treatment as authorities work urgently to contain the spread of the highly dangerous MenB strain.
According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), four of the confirmed cases involve the particularly serious MenB variant. The outbreak, centred around Canterbury, has already resulted in the deaths of two students.
One of the victims was Juliette, an 18-year-old sixth-form student who attended Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham. Her father told the BBC that the family are “beyond devastated and they have no words to express their loss.”
The second victim was a student at the University of Kent in Canterbury, where concerns have grown among the local student community.
Hundreds of university students queued on Monday to receive preventative antibiotics as health authorities stepped up efforts to limit the outbreak. Many students wore face masks while waiting for treatment on campus.
The UKHSA has also urged anyone who visited the popular nightclub Club Chemistry in Canterbury on 5, 6 or 7 March to come forward for precautionary antibiotic treatment.
Officials described the measure as a “precautionary measure” aimed at preventing further transmission of the infection.
Health teams continue to monitor the situation closely as they attempt to identify contacts of those infected and prevent additional cases from emerging.