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Seven new cases of meningitis in Kent have been confirmed, taking the total number of cases to 27, the UK Health Security Agency has said.
Officials believe that the current strategy of preventive antibiotics and targeted vaccination is proving effective, as the bacteria causing the outbreak is a known strain of meningitis B, the Guardian understands.
But it remains unclear why this outbreak has been so large. Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Thursday, Prof Robin May, the chief scientific officer at the UKHSA, said: “What is particularly remarkable about this case, and unexpected about this case, is the large number of cases all originating from what seems to be a single event.
“There are two possible reasons for that. One is that there might be something about the kind of behaviours that individual people are doing. The other possibility is the bacteria itself may have evolved to be better at transmitting.”
The UKHSA said on Thursday that 15 laboratory cases had been confirmed and 12 notifications remained under investigation.
So far, 600 meningitis B vaccines have been administered at the University of Kent’s Canterbury campus and more than 6,500 precautionary doses of antibiotics have been issued to students. One school pupil and one university student have died in what officials said on Wednesday was the quickest-growing outbreak they had ever seen.
Canterbury Christ Church University, also in Kent, confirmed on Wednesday that one of its students had meningitis, meaning confirmed or suspected cases have been reported at two universities and four schools.
The UKHSA said there was also one student with meningitis at a higher education institution in London, whose case was directly linked to the Kent outbreak.
Meningitis is an infection of the protective lining of the brain and spinal cord. It is caused by different bacteria and viruses. Meningitis B is caused by the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria, also known as the meningococcus. This bacteria usually lives harmlessly in people’s throats, but can cause life-threatening disease if it gets into the blood or spinal fluid. Prompt treatment with antibiotics is crucial.
GPs across England were told on Wednesday to prescribe antibiotics to anyone who attended Club Chemistry, a nightclub in Canterbury, between 5 and 7 March and to University of Kent students who had left campus.
The UKHSA has also issued an alert for the wider NHS in England about the signs and symptoms of meningitis, but stressed this did not signal that the outbreak was going to spread nationwide.
Trish Mannes, the UKHSA’s regional deputy director for south-east England, said: “Two doses of the MenB vaccine helps protect individuals against meningococcal B disease. It is important to know that the MenB vaccine does not protect against all strains of meningococcal disease, nor against all infections that can cause meningitis. It also does not prevent the bacteria from being carried and spread in the community.
“It is therefore still hugely important that people are aware of the signs and symptoms of invasive meningococcal disease, and that they seek immediate medical attention if they or anyone they know develops these signs and symptoms.”
“If you have been offered preventative antibiotics, it is strongly recommended that you take them promptly. If you are a student at the University of Kent who is eligible but has since returned home, contact your local GP, who will be able to provide advice and prescribe the appropriate treatment.”
The UKHSA stressed the NHS was well stocked with menB vaccines after pharmacies reported they were struggling to obtain the jabs for people who wanted to pay privately.
All reported cases so far have a link to Kent, according to the UKHSA.
