What to know about the meningitis outbreak in England causing angst among university students

LONDON (AP) — A meningitis outbreak in southeast England has led to the deaths of a university student and a pupil from a nearby school, prompting public health officials to quickly roll out medical interventions.

The outbreak in the county of Kent was described Wednesday as unprecedented by U.K. Health Secretary Wes Streeting, owing to the high number of cases appearing in such a short space of time. The first case was only confirmed on Friday.

The number of meningitis cases rose by a further five on Tuesday to 20. Thousands of students at the University of Kent in the city of Canterbury are being offered antibiotics as well as a vaccination against the strain that has been identified as the source of the outbreak.

With public health officials turning up in Kent, and with students jittery, here is what to know:

Definition of meningitis

Meningitis is an infection of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord and can be caused by either viruses or bacteria.

Contracting meningitis can lead to a severe blood infection that is called meningococcal sepsis, which often manifests itself as a rash. It can be life-threatening if not treated rapidly.

Meningitis can also lead to limb amputations. The most dangerous outbreaks are usually a result of bacteria. The majority of the cases in Canterbury have been confirmed as stemming from a bacterial infection.

Possible super-spreader event

Meningitis is a rare disease in the U.K. — around 350 a year — but it can spread in tight communities, such as university dormitories.

Students are seen as particularly vulnerable as the bacteria is often lying dormant in the nose or throat of individuals and can spread through coughing, kissing or sharing drinks.

Experts said many of those affected in the current outbreak went to a nightclub in Canterbury from March 5-7. Doctors across the country have been told to prescribe antibiotics to anyone who visited Club Chemistry during those dates in addition to students at the University of Kent.

“This is so that anyone who has traveled home, or away from Kent, can easily access this important preventative treatment close to them,” it said.

What can be done

Given the recent memory of the COVID-19 pandemic, people in and around Canterbury have started donning masks again and keeping their distance from each other.

On the medical front, antibiotics are considered the most effective treatment to limit the spread.

So far, more than 2,500 doses have been given, including to some of those who visited Club Chemistry. A vaccination against the meningitis B strain is also being offered. The jab only became part of the U.K.’s childhood immunization program since 2015, so most students at the University of Kent wouldn’t have been vaccinated, though some may have taken it privately.

The U.K. Health Security Agency, or UKHSA, said that there were enough doses of the vaccine, but pharmacies have reported that they were struggling to obtain stocks for people who want to pay privately.

The outlook

The number of cases is expected to rise because the incubation period for the infection can be up to 14 days.

Scientists have said that it’s too soon to assess whether the strain involved in Kent is more virulent than any others. Streeting said that he wasn’t concerned that the outbreak could spread to other parts of the country as students leave Canterbury.

“This is not currently a national incident,” he said.