Antibiotics and advice issued amid meningitis outbreak in Kent

Precautionary antibiotics are being offered to some students in Kent following an outbreak of invasive meningococcal disease which has seen two people die.

Some 13 cases with signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia have been identified in Canterbury between 13 to 15 March, and two people have died. The specific strain is not currently known.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS are arranging antibiotics for students to help ‘limit the spread’, and have issued advice for staff and students, highlighting that anyone who becomes unwell with symptoms should seek medical help urgently.

Meningococcal disease is an uncommon but serious disease caused by meningococcal bacteria, warned the UKHSA. Young people going to university or college for the first time are particularly at risk of meningitis because they mix with other students, some of whom are unknowingly carrying the bacteria at the back of their nose and throat.

Vaccines are available to prevent some types of meningitis, including against Meningococcal group B (MenB) for babies, and the MenACWY vaccine for protection against MenA, MenC, MenW, and MenY offered to teenagers in school Years 9 and 10.

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The vaccine for MenB – which the UKHSA says can circulate in young adults – was only introduced for babies at two months, three months and 12 months in 2015.

Dr Tom Nutt, chief executive of charity Meningitis Now, said this means many young adults will have been unlikely to receive the MenB vaccine, noting that outside the infant age bracket it is only available privately through pharmacies.

‘Vaccination is the only way of preventing certain types of meningitis, and many students will have had the MenACWY vaccination at school,’ he said.

‘However, it is important for teenagers and young adults to be aware that they are unlikely to have been vaccinated against one of the most common causes of meningitis in this age group, which is MenB.’

Dr Nutt pointed to the charity’s “No Plan B for MenB” campaign, which calls for greater protection against meningococcal group B disease.

‘MenB is one of the most common causes of bacterial meningitis in the UK and can strike suddenly with life-changing consequences,’ he said.

‘Since 2015 only infants have been vaccinated against MenB and we believe all teenagers and young adults should be protected by this vaccine on the NHS.’

Meningitis can cause serious illness, inflammation of the lining of the brain, and septicaemia, blood poisoning, which can rapidly lead to sepsis.

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Symptoms include a rash, high fever, a severe headache, stiff neck, vomiting and diarrhoea, joint and muscles pain, dislike of bright lights, very cold hands and feet, seizures, confusion, and sleepiness. The onset of illness is often sudden and treatment with antibiotics are vital, the UKHSA noted.

Trish Mannes, UKHSA regional deputy director for the South East, said it was ‘essential’ people were aware of the symptoms.

‘We understand that many people at the university and in the wider community will be affected by this sad news and we would like to offer our condolences to the friends and family involved,’ she said.

‘Students and staff will understandably be feeling worried about the risk of further cases; however, we would like to reassure them that close contacts of cases have been given antibiotics as a precautionary measure.

‘Advice and support is being offered to the wider student community, and to local hospitals and NHS 111, and we’re monitoring the situation closely.’

She explained that the disease can ‘progress rapidly, so it’s essential that students and staff are alert to the signs and symptoms of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia’.

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‘Students are particularly at risk of missing the early warning signs of meningitis because they can be easily confused with other illnesses such as a bad cold, flu or even a hangover,’ she added.

Students were encouraged to check on friends if they were unwell and to avoid hesitation to seek medical help through a GP practice or NHS 111 if they were concerned.