Student dies and two more ill in meningitis outbreak in Reading

One young person is dead after another meningitis outbreak in the UK (Picture: Google)

A student has died in a meningitis outbreak which has doctors contacting other young people who may be at risk.

Two others are seriously ill in hospital with fears they have meningitis B (MenB) – the same strain linked to a cluster of deaths of revellers at a Canterbury nightclub.

Close contacts have been offered precautionary antibiotics, while the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) stressed the risk to the wider public remains low.

In a statement, the UKHSA said it is ‘working with local authority and NHS partners’ after identifying three cases of meningococcal infection among young people in the area.

The student who died attended Henley College in Oxfordshire, according to Hart Surgery in Henley-on-Thames.

Sign up for all of the latest stories

Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.

The GP practice said it had been in contact with health officials and confirmed they are now ‘actively contacting those who may be at risk’ due to close contact with the student.

Students were given the meningitis B jab at the University of Kent sports hall (Picture: Getty Images)

It added: ‘If you have not been contacted by the UK Health Security Agency, then currently you do not require any treatment.’

Staff and students have been told they can continue attending college as normal, with officials saying the number of confirmed cases is ‘very low’ and there are no plans for an emergency vaccination programme.

Dr Rachel Mearkle, a consultant in health protection, said the latest death would be ‘deeply upsetting’ for the community.

She added: ‘Students and staff will naturally be feeling worried… however meningococcal meningitis requires very close contact to spread and large outbreaks… are thankfully rare.’

Officials are now working to contain the situation, offering advice and antibiotics to those most at risk.

Meningitis Now chief executive Dr Tom Nutt said the charity was ‘deeply saddened’ by the death and urged people to stay alert to symptoms.

‘Meningitis can become life-threatening very quickly,’ he warned, stressing that early diagnosis is crucial.

The news comes just weeks after a deadly outbreak in Kent, where two students lost their lives in March – including 18-year-old Juliette Kenny, described by her family as ‘fit, healthy and strong’.

Juliette Kenny’s meningitis B infection became life-threatening quickly after her first symptoms appeared (Picture: Family handout/PA)

Her father Michael said: ‘Juliette fought bravely for hours, but despite the fantastic NHS hospital staff fighting alongside her, meningitis took her from us less than 12 hours later.

‘We were with her at the end, and the last sounds that she heard were the voices of those who loved her telling her how very much loved and cherished she is.’

He said the ‘devastation’ of her death is ‘immeasurable’ and something ‘no family should experience.’

Freddie van Mierlo, MP for Henley and Thame, said: ‘My thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the students affected.

‘I would urge everyone in the area to follow the medical advice and in particular to re-familiarise themselves with the symptoms, as well as check their vaccination history.’

What are the most common signs of meningitis?

According to Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor, with bacterial meningitis, sepsis, shock, and organ failure can occur very quickly, sometimes within hours of the first symptoms appearing. As such, it’s imperative that people seek treatment immediately.

‘The most common signs that tend to alert both patients and clinicians to the possibility of meningitis include a sudden onset of severe headache, neck stiffness, fever, and sometimes a sensitivity to light, known as photophobia , along with general malaise and vomiting ,’ she tells Metro

‘One of the key warning signs, particularly for meningococcal infection [a type of bacterial meningitis], is a non-blanching purplish or bruise-like rash , which can be tested using the “glass test,” whereby gentle pressure from a glass over the rash does not cause it to fade.

‘This is considered a medical emergency and requires immediate attention’.

Teenagers and young adults are among those most at risk, with the recent Kent outbreak showing how quickly cases can escalate.

In March, hundreds of people were given vaccines or antibiotics in a bid to stop the spread.

Dr Paddy Woodman, director of student services, said: ‘I was deeply saddened to hear this news and my thoughts, and those of the whole university community, are with their family and friends.

‘We will be contacting students to remind them of existing information about looking out for signs of meningitis, and the importance of acting immediately on any worrying symptoms, as well as checking their vaccination status.’

Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source