Britain rushes to contain ‘unprecedented’ meningitis outbreak

London – British Health Minister Wes Streeting on March 17 described a deadly outbreak of meningitis linked to a nightclub as “unprecedented” after two students died and 13 people were hospitalised.

Mr Streeting told Parliament that the outbreak was a “rapidly developing situation” with the number of confirmed cases rising to 15.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has reported two deaths from the outbreak in Kent in south-eastern England – a 21-year-old university student and an 18-year-old school student.

The outbreak has been linked to Club Chemistry in the city of Canterbury, a large three-storey venue popular with students.

The health security agency said it had been “notified of 15 cases”, including those who died, up from 13 previously reported.

Four cases have been identified as meningitis B, a bacterial strain rarer and deadlier than the viral type, it said.

Meningitis B causes death in around one in 10 cases, according to the National Health Service.

Meningitis is an infection affecting the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, and it is most common in young children, teenagers and young adults.

It can spread through close contact, including “prolonged kissing or sharing vapes and drinks”, Mr Streeting said.

The focus of public health measures was on the University of Kent, which has around 18,000 students, some of whom are among those hospitalised with meningitis.

The university held a clinic offering antibiotics on March 17 as students lined up for treatment. Mr Streeting also announced a vaccination programme for students living in university halls.

The minister added that the French authorities reported a case on March 14 involving a person in France who had attended the University of Kent, without providing further details.

The UKHSA on March 17 urged anyone who went to a nightclub in Canterbury between March 5 and 7 to get preventive antibiotics.

The health security agency has faced criticism for an alleged delay in informing the public of the outbreak.

It first announced the deaths on March 15, two days after it was first notified of cases.

UKHSA deputy head Gayatri Amirthalingam said the agency took “urgent action” to identify and inform close contacts of those infected.

“I don’t believe there’s been any delay in terms of the public health response,” she said.

Club Chemistry said on Instagram that one of its staff members was being treated for meningitis, and it has closed as a precaution. AFP