Two dead in Meningitis outbreak in Kent, southern England.

Two people have died in an outbreak of Meningitis in the city of Canterbury, in Kent, southern England, this week, according to the UK Health Security Agency. Both of those who have died have been described as having been teenage students studying at the University of Kent. A further eighteen cases of the disease have been confirmed, sixteen of whom live in or close to Canterbury, with one patient each in London and Paris, both of whom are known to have visited Canterbury immediately before becoming unwell. A further eleven possible cases are under investigation. 

The location of the University of Kent. Google Maps.

Meningitis is a serious infection of the meninges, the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Several different Bacteria can cause Meningitis, however, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis (sometimes spelled Neisseria meningitis) are the most common, and are transmitted from person to person through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions from infected people.

The average incubation period for Meningococcal Meningitis is 4 days, but can range between 2 and 10 days. The most common symptoms of Meningitis are a stiff neck, high fever, sensitivity to light, confusion, headaches and vomiting. Even with early diagnosis and adequate treatment, 5% to 10% of patients die, typically within 24 to 48 hours after the onset of symptoms. Bacterial Meningitis may result in brain damage, hearing loss or a learning disability in 10% to 20% of survivors. A less common, but even more severe (and often fatal), form of Meningococcal Disease is Meningococcal Septicaemia, which is characterised by a haemorrhagic rash and rapid circulatory collapse.

The Canterbury outbreak has been linked to the B serotype of Neisseria meningitidis, a form of Betaproteobacterium. A serotype is a distinct population within a species of Bacteria or Virus which presents different antigen proteins on the surface of its cells, and therefore requires the body to develop a different antibody response. A total of 12 serotypes of Neisseria meningitides have been identified, six of which (A, B, C, W, X and Y) can cause Meningococcal Meningitis epidemics.

Two serotypes 1a and 1b with antigens 2a and 2b on surface. Corresponding antibodys 3a and 3b with the possibility to bind to the antigens. Anna Bauer/Wikimedia Commons.

In the UK, a vaccine for Neisseria meningitidis serotypes A, C, W, & Y is typically offered to school pupils aged 14-15, while a vaccine for serotype B, which is particularly associated with outbreaks in infants, is offered to babies. However, this latter vaccination was only introduced in 2015, and therefore most people over the age of 15 in the UK are not vaccinated against this strain. The charity Meningitis Now, which campaigns on issues relating to the disease in the UK, as well as offering advise to those affected by or concerned about Meningitis, has been campaigning for a roll-out of the serotype B vaccine to older groups. 

As a response to the current outbreak, the University of Kent has arranged for a vaccination program for students to be set up on its campus, where antibiotics, which can help to fight the disease, are also available. Advice for staff and students at the university can be found here. Other people who are concerned that they may have been exposed should contact their GP (a GP, or General Practitioner, is a family doctor in the UK), or the National Health Service's NHS111 help service.

Students at the University of Kent in Canterbury queuing to get Meningitis B vaccine. PA Media.

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